Burlap Effigies
by SpyVsTailor
Summary: Part 2 of the Cardboard Monsters series. The Scarecrow's laid up, Ivy's on the hunt, Catwoman's showing her claws, the Mad Hatter can't get the March Hare to drink his tea, the Riddler is confused and Firefly shouldn't be allowed to have a lighter.
1. The Undead

**Okay, everyone stay with me here. I'm trying something different. Testing the waters, if you will, so...you know. Go easy on me. I shall forever love the Riddler and Catwoman, but this part of the series is going to be from the POV's of the Scarecrow and Poison Ivy (which is why it's filed under Scarecrow/Poison Ivy) perhaps with a chapter or two from the Mad Hatter, Riddler and Catwoman's POV's. Make no mistake, I believe Ivy to be a lesbian, so there'll be no pairing in this story (except the usual fare to be expected from me, which is why most of you come around, I'm sure).  
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**To everyone from the first part of this series and probably all my other stories (you know who you are) I say 'thanks'. I've dabbled in a few fandoms before, but I must say that Batman fans are some of the nicest and most supportive fans I've ever written for. I mean that. You guys are the tops! ^_^  
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**If you're just picking up this story for the first time, be sure to check out the first part of this series 'Cardboard Monsters', it might be important to look into that first. I mean, you don't have to, I'm not the boss of you...but...hey...you know. *sniffs* Yep.**

**Uh, I don't own anything that's recognizable here...but you should also already know that.**

**On with the show!  
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><p><strong>Chapter One: The Undead<strong>

****Crane****

The only sounds that filled the darkness were the steady 'plonk' of water droplets hitting the metal pans that collected the roof leakage, where the water was coming from was a horrifying thought. Outside the world was still, there was no sounds down by the docks, not even the seagulls were up at the ungodly hour that Jonathan Crane was.

Seated beside the bed with his broken and splinted leg propped up on another cheap folding chair before him, he read aloud from the book in his hands. It wasn't for his patients benefit that he was reading aloud, but for his own, in the hopes of keeping his mind off the pain and the withdrawal symptoms that decided to pop up just to add to his sunny day.

"When you see millions of the mouthless dead, across your dreams in pale battalions go, say not soft things as other men have said. That you'll remember. For you need not so," he paused and raised his head as outside the backroom the muffled screams of Query were heard as Echo struggled to patch her from the accident.*

Things had gone to pot fast.

The book he found among a sea of drug paraphernalia by the crack bed where they had dropped Selina, it was broke to shit, but there were still pieces of it in decent enough shape to read. He couldn't understand for the life of him what crack heads were doing reading first world war poetry, but he was thankful that it wasn't a Where's Waldo. Although as far as he knew the stupid drugged up punks were tearing pages out of the book for toilet paper and not because they found a moving poem and wanted it near.

After dragging his ass away into a ditch, then into a culvert and lying quietly until Nightwing and the cops disappeared, he emerged to find no one around.

With his broken leg he hobbled his way halfway across Gotham in the dark, until he found the place where Edward had told them to go and wait. It wasn't a fun trip, and he was sure he stepped on a rat in the dark and killed it, but that was the least of his problems at the time.

Query and Echo were already there and Jervis arrived shortly with Selina.

No one was in great shape, but Echo and Jervis seemed the luckiest.

Selina, it seemed, took a bit of the brunt, although not to sound as self centred as Edward, but Crane felt he too was battered pretty badly. He had been knocked cold for the first few minutes of the crash and woke to find Nightwing kneeling over Selina in the back.

His first instinct had been self preservation.

"Give them not praise. For deaf, how should they know it is not curses heaped on each gashed head?" He continued.

A freight train rolled by overhead, going across the train bridge over the bay and it shook everything inside.

The candle on the table by the bed swayed dangerously, but Crane reached out and grabbed hold of it calmly, waiting until the train rolled by to continue.

Crane would have been the one stitching Query, but he found his pain distracted him, besides he enjoyed it enough to hear her screams as Echo stitched the gashes the glass left on her soft peaches and cream skin.

Maybe first world war poetry was the best thing to read considering things seemed like a war zone. People injured, the panic and fear that had rippled through the all while the unknown helicopter hunted them down.

But who? Who wanted them dead? And what the hell was with the drugs?

The train passed by and Crane bowed his head to the remnants of the book again.

"Nor tears. Their blind eyes see not your tears flow. Nor honour. It is easy to be dead."

Query's screams died down and Crane assumed she was passed out or finished being under the needle.

He quietly set the book down and grabbed hold of his scythe.

Every jarring bump and thump sent searing pain from his broken leg up to his hip and beyond, but he ignored it, heading for the outer room.

Jervis sat on the receiving counter, stroking his dead March Hare, blood coating his face and hands, Echo was washing her hands in a bucket of salt water she got from the docks and Query was sitting miserably on a chair behind Jervis, touching her stitched flesh tentatively.

"You should probably be sitting, Professor." Echo said softly. "You don't want your leg to heal crooked do you?"

"I'm not an invalid old man," he snapped. "I just thought I should tell you we need supplies. You should take Jervis and hit up some mom and pop pharmacy."

Echo nodded. "Okay, just go lie down. The bed's big enough for two."

Despite his pain, Crane chuckled. "And risk waking up with a set of claws at my throat? No thanks."

"She won't be waking anytime soon." Echo said.

"If we're lucky," Query added darkly.

Crane eyed the blonde quietly, before turning and limping off back into the room with the bed.

Warily he eyed the bed. Sleeping through the pain sounded wonderful, but he wasn't sure about the bed.

They had thrown down whatever clothes they all could spare to prevent Selina from catching something from the bare mattress, but now that he was faced with the possibly of sleeping there, Crane hesitated.

Then again if he was concussed he might not wake at all.

Crane pursed his lips at the idea of his dead body being found on a crack bed next to Selina Kyle's. On the bright side dying in bed next the cat sounded like a great way to die, but dying on such a bed…well he had standards.

Limping back out into the main room, he found the others getting ready to leave.

"Blonde girl," he commanded.

Query looked up.

"Wake me in an hour. Make sure I'm not dead."

She nodded. "Sure."

Hobbling himself back into the room, he set half his ass on the bed, elevating his wounded leg, before attempting to push Selina over enough to get some room.

"You know," he said to her as he leaned over her to carefully push her further onto the right side of the bed. "A dirtier man than I wouldn't be so kind with your unconscious form."

Chuckling he carefully leaned down and moved her bottom half over. "Of course, if I weren't so tired and you weren't so knocked out I might have made a pass or two." He moved to lie back and found he forgot to move her arm. "I do get a thrill out of pissing you off."

He sat up again and reaching back, placed her arm over her stomach.

"I'm not saying I'll protest too hard if you want to spoon me," he muttered, lying back.

Despite all the pain he was in, he was out cold within seconds of his head hitting the pillow.

* * *

><p>Someone was hovering over him.<p>

Through the haze of his sleep, he sensed a form leaning over him and slowly opened his eyes.

A large pair of watery blue eyes peered down at him, a hooked nose touching his.

"Jervis," Crane began calmly. "Don't stare a man awake, it's disturbing."

The Mad Hatter blinked his big blue bug eyes. "They told me to wake you."

"Get off me." He requested politely.

"Are you dead?" He warbled.

"Yes. Don't disrespect my corpse, get off me."

Slowly, carefully the madman scooted off Crane's body and sat calmly on the edge of the bed.

"What time is it?" The Scarecrow asked, struggling to sit up.

"August."

"Thank you." He replied.

Jervis tucked his chin in among his ridiculous polka dot green and yellow bow tie. "I fear my side is angry at me."

"Your side?" Crane demanded, angling his body to check Selina's vitals.

"My side is no longer on my side," Jervis said.

Turning away from touching two fingers to Selina's soft neck, Crane quirked a brow.

The Mad Hatter was tucked in on himself like a hunchback, his hands gripping his purple velvet coat closed.

There was no sign of blood.

"You probably broke or cracked a few ribs," he pointed out. "Get one of the girls to bandage you."

After a quiet moment of sitting there staring at Crane like an owl, Jervis got to his feet and moved off, leaving the room silent again.

With nothing to do but stare at the four walls again, he was about to settle back into the bed for another nap, when he spied a journal on the milk crate beside it.

He reached for the book he had been reading from.

* * *

><p>Crane snapped the book closed as Selina stirred.<p>

Setting the book back on the milk crate, he moved as swiftly as he could with a broken leg to hover over her.

They had removed her mask to give her more comfort, and Crane leaned in softly to sniff at her loose hair.

The source for the scent of strawberries and cream that haunted him for nearly three hours, he mused.

Long, thick lashes lifted and Selina opened her eyes to the world. They snapped open at the sight of him hovering over her and she gasped.

"Good morning," he said.

"How bad is it?" She asked, her voice dry from the sleep.

"Well, I have a hole in my costume and blood all over my mask," he replied. "I think I might need a new one made up."

"I meant me, idiot."

Tsking, Crane carefully rolled off her, wincing as his leg moved. "Well, you're not dead. You're not paralyzed and you've been shot in the leg. Plus you have a nasty gash on your side, but they wouldn't let me look at it because you're not wearing anything under that tight black suit of yours."

"So you opted to let me lay here bleeding to death?"

"I bandaged it the best I could, I thought if you woke and found me playing around with your breasts exposed, you'd kill first and ask questions later." He replied. "But if you want, I can take a look now…with your permission."

"Permission denied." She replied, slowly dragging herself into a half sitting position. She grunted and explored the extent of the damage with her hand. "Okay, you'd better stitch me." She said, unzipping her suit. "But I'm not a museum, so no touring, hm?"

Crane surreptitiously eyed her breasts as the suit parted at the front and smirked ever so. "I've seen breasts before, cat. Hell, in my heyday I saw at least seven of them." He said, moving to get off the bed, his leg dropped heavily onto the floor despite his efforts to keep it steady. "Fuck!"

Calmly leaning back as though he didn't just destroy all the work Echo had done splinting his leg, he eyed the cat. "I think the withdrawals are slowing down. I only got a migraine once today…it lasted all day, but that's something, isn't it?"

She nodded, pushing her suit to her waist. "I suppose."

"Keep those out, I'll be back with my tools." He said.

Tucking her arm over her breasts in an effort for some modesty, Selina scoffed. "Yeah, right."

* * *

><p>Echo had come back from the pharmacy with everything one could possibly need for home surgery, all he needed was the needle and thread, but he also took claim on a bottle of cheap liquor that the woman had also returned with.<p>

The brunette tried to protest, but Crane said it was for his pain and she let it go.

"So what's the plan, then?" Selina asked as Crane eased into the bed beside her and handed off the liquor. It said it was rye, but it looked like a very watery sort of rye and smelled like paint thinner.

"Get drunk off our asses, for tomorrow we die." He replied, threading the needle. It was hard, he didn't have his glasses.

Eyeing the bottle, Selina sighed. "I don't know if I should let you get me drunk, you already leered at me enough today."

Wetting the thread, Crane squinted at the needle. "Ah, but I'm too smart to fall for your trap, cat. So I think you're safe."

She sniffed the booze, before taking a swig. "Ugh, god this tastes like nail polish remover smells! Who the hell drinks rye anymore, Jesus!"

"That's probably the only thing available to our little dark haired grocery girl." He said finally getting the thread through the needle. "Drink enough of it and it'll taste like candy," he motioned her over to his side of the bed. "Okay, come here."

"Why do I have to come to you? I'm the patient."

"Because I have a broken leg that'll hurt like a bitch if I move it anymore."

She pursed her lips in thought, before holding the bottle out to him helpfully.

He took it and with a slight pause, downed a gulp.

It was vile.

* * *

><p>"Seven breasts?" She asked randomly. "How did you see <em>seven<em>? Don't you usually see them in pairs?"

Crane looked up from squinting at his work on her side. "I think you've had enough to drink."

"I think you're right." She tossed the empty bottle away. "Are you almost done?"

"Just about," he replied. "I'm just adding my initials."

When that didn't get a laugh, he looked up.

"That's a joke."

"Oh."

"You know," he remarked, "I respect your lack of embarrassment over your body."

Selina looked down her body at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you stopped covering your breasts about an hour ago when you tousled my hair."

She laughed. "Have I? How are they looking?"

"Well, they're looking right at me. It's unnerving."

"Yeah, they have a mind of their own. Where's everyone else?"

Crane sighed. "I really don't know."

"I suppose one could have been covered with something…or how would that work?"

"What?" He inquired.

"Seven breasts."

"Look, I was being generous with my numbers, it was probably only four. That's two pair to be clear." He replied.

Selina eyed him with glassy, mischievous eyes.

He hated that look, it meant she was thinking and a thinking cat was never a good thing.

"Did you touch them?" She asked puckishly.

"Touch the breasts? Of course." He replied leaning his head down to tear the thread free with his teeth. "Believe it or not, but I've even had sex."

"I bet you did you filthy stick insect." She replied.

Grasping the loop pull on her suit, Crane began zipping her back up, but paused two inches into the task, eyeing her quietly.

Her violet eyes danced down to the pull in his hand and back to his face as though daring him to do something.

Not wanting to play her game, but perhaps a little too sad to be the one to end her nudity, he continued to zip her up, stopping just under her exposed breasts.

"You'd better tuck yourself in. I'm not one for tit stuffing." He smirked. "At least not if it's not going to be followed by something fun."

"This suit is tight for a reason." She replied zipping herself in.

"To distract and attract?"

"To avoid tripping laser sensors."

Crane angled his jaw. "Yeah, right."

"What's that angled jaw for?"

"It's bat bait and you know it. Hell, it's Riddler bait too somedays, isn't it?" He painfully dragged his carcass back over to his side of the bed.

"Go to hell, Jon."

"Already there, Selina." He replied closing his eyes.

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><p><strong>*The poem that Crane recites is 'When You See Millions of the Mouthless Dead' by Charles Hamilton Sorley.<strong>


	2. It Lives By Night

**NoSpillBlood - Thanks. That was super nice thing of you to say. I'm not sure if it's flawless, but I'm trying really hard to make it good. The thing is I've been so busy lately that it's really hard to bring this story to people, so it's super lovely to hear things like that. It gives me the steam I need to work on this before flopping into bed from exhaustion. ^_^ Therefore, for making this nervous first attempt at something new easier on me, I dedicate a spider monkey to you. Can I do that? I dunno, I just did. Some poor spider monkey is out there...flailing around in a tree, dedicated to you. So...enjoy that.  
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**eatingsupernoodles - Well, considering that you've only read the first chapter, I suppose you can't quite get a taste of what this next part is going to be like, but since it's a different flavour from the first part and features Crane and Ivy heavily, I felt it was important to break the storyline up. I'm awfully sorry if it annoys you so much (I have a weird thing for writing serials), that wasn't my intention at all. But I do appreciate your input, I did struggle with myself for a long, long time before making the decision. I just didn't want the story to have a lump in the middle because of this next part. It's kind of like Indiana Jones. The first one was alright, the second was meh and the last was the best (I generally ignore the fourth ever happened). This part is the meh. Oh God, it's super late, I hope that made some sense to someone...O_o**

**JannaKalderash - Yes. Alcohol is never a good idea when it comes to crazy and hyper sexual. ^_^**

**Lady Pocketmouse - Mah, thanks so much for the ego boost! It's reviews like yours that really puts a spring in my step and kicks my ass into high gear.**

**jacksparrowlovesme - You know. I will forever be a Riddler/Catwoman shipper, but you can't deny that Crane and Selina have weird sexual tension in a lot of my work. It's just their characters, I think. Like he's a shit disturber who likes to poke at people and Selina doesn't take shit from him so they end up in heated fights often. But you are close, in this story Crane does seem to have a small soft spot for Selina (I swear, I didn't even intend for it to be that way, they just do these things themselves!)  
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><p><strong>Chapter Two: It Lives By Night<strong>

****Ivy****

They had travelled two days and some before returning to Gotham.

Edward seemed more paranoid than usual, checking his rear view mirror, adjusting his side mirrors, glancing over his shoulder whenever a car came up to pass.

She couldn't really blame him. They had no idea who blew up Dr. Vanderhoen's trailer or whether it was intended for them or not.

The rage still boiled in her over the unnecessary destruction of the greenhouse.

As a botanist, Dr. Vanderhoen probably had some of the rarest and most precious plants growing in his hothouse and it pissed her off.

She eyed the Riddler beside her in the driver's seat.

They had driven nearly non-stop and he was looking a little rough around the edges.

A lack of sleep, two days worth of stubble and a hard, determined look in his eye seemed to agree with him. It gave his eyes a sharp, predatory appeal that they were capable of, but hardly ever possessed. They were narrowed at the road, long, dark lashes seemed thicker and darker as his pale blueish-green eyes shone.

"Why didn't it kill us?" He muttered to himself. "It must have been too weak...because it doesn't make sense..."

For the entire drive it had been like this, Edward muttering riddles and questions to himself, Ivy trying hard to find something to take her mind off her rage.

Seeing the large, ostentatious 'Welcome to Gotham City' sign, Ivy smirked darkly.

"You never told me how Arkham was, Ed." She said.

He glanced over at her. "Oh, you know bad food, cold corners, too many group showers."

"I bet you loved those group showers." She purred.

"I did. I was the biggest man there." He replied sharply.

"Don't you know it's rude to lie to a lady?" She demanded.

"Show me a lady and I'll show you an honest gentleman."

Smirking, she angled her head to face the lights of the city. "One of these days, Ed, I'm going to kill you."

He turned the car sharply down a street. "Not if I kill you first, Pammie."

* * *

><p>They pulled up in front of a burnt out shell of the car dealership and Edward stepped out.<p>

"Jesus," he breathed.

Ivy exited the car, following the Riddler into the ruins.

"What do you think happened?"

"Well, Pammie, there are two main questions on my mind right now. And this answers at least one of them." He replied. "Keep an eye out for some bodies."

As they made their way into the bowels of the charred building, Ivy found herself willing vines to entangle the ruins, trying to put some beauty back into the ugly blackened chunk of concrete and steel.

A form dropped down at her side quietly.

"You're ruining the beauty of the place," someone rasped.

She spun on them, vines already stretching out towards the being.

Firefly held up a heavily gloved hand the other holding his flamethrower. "Easy."

Ivy eyed him warily. Flora and fire never really got along, so she was always on her guard around the fire bug. Of course she never really spent much time around him before, but she knew enough of him to know to be wary. Apparently Firefly was so crazy even Killer Moth kept his distance.

From out of the rubble, the Riddler joined them, carefully picking his way over the charred remains of the building as though afraid of getting dirty, which was probably the case.

"Is this your work?" He inquired.

"I wish. It would have been a beautiful blaze firsthand." Firefly replied calmly. "But I only came for the aftermath."

"Oh? And do you have any idea what exactly happened here?" Edward went on interrogating the man.

Firefly shifted on his heavy black boots and palmed the rifle-like part of his flamethrower, before tucking it away into a cradle on his back. "I can tell you what's happening all across Gotham's underworld. People are dying mysteriously. Not from illness either. Throats slit, heads lopped off at the shoulders. Clean. With a sharp blade. It's a cruel, cold act."

Ivy wasn't sure what he meant, but Edward spoke.

"Adalaide?"

Firefly slowly shook his head once.

Not sure what was happening, Ivy kept quiet, watching the Riddler for a sign of what the hell just happened, but Eddie was stone faced.

"Something fucked up is going on here and I'm beginning to think of assuaging my rage in a heated manner." Firefly said after a moment.

Edward nodded. "Fire does cleanse all sins." He agreed.

Reaching out the Riddler touched a hand to Firefly's upper arm.

"But first," he said. "Why don't you come with us? I think there might be a hot meal in it for you."

Angling his mask, Firefly looked at the hand assaulting him.

"Don't touch me." He ordered gruffly.

The Riddler quietly removed the limb.

"At this moment," Firefly began carefully, "I think we could discuss business over a hot meal."

Eddie beamed. "Let me give you some directions to a warehouse near here…"

* * *

><p>"Who's Adalaide?" Ivy asked as they were on their way, Firefly getting to the warehouse on his own power.<p>

Edward turned the car down a street. "Firefly's paramour."

"You can just say 'girlfriend', Ed."

He scowled at the street. "I don't think it was that kind of relationship."

"Lover?'

"Uh, getting warmer. I don't know, it was a quagmire of a relationship, I think. Who really cares anyways?"

"You're so kind to people." She snapped.

"She was an amazing pair of legs and tits," the Riddler said. "But I'm sure that's all she was."

"You're an unbelievable asshole, do you know that?"

"The woman voluntarily involved herself with a known arsonist, not just any arsonist, but Firefly. She had to have been a real piece of work."

"And you're so normal?"

"I'm perfectly normal, it's the world that perceives me incorrectly. Besides, Firefly would have probably burned her eventually anyways."

"You son of a bitch," she snarled.

Eddie chuckled. "Come on, Firefly doesn't want our pity and I don't want to give him my pity, so it works out for everyone."

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><p>They pulled out in front of a shithole warehouse somewhere near the bay.<p>

Ivy stepped out of the car expecting rats to flee her feet, instead she found a murky puddle waiting for her.

Fantastic.

Leaning down she removed her human shoes and let her vines cover her body, shedding the rest of her clothes as well.

If she was going to be stepping in muddy puddles, she'd at least leave some flora where she stepped.

On his side of the vehicle, Eddie watched her with a twinkle in his eyes.

She flipped her long, red hair over her shoulder and ignored the look, he was only looking to start a fight.

Nearby Firefly landed, eyeing the warehouse.

With his helmet on Ivy couldn't tell whether he was as impressed with the dive as her or not. Knowing him he probably could have cared less. The man spent his entire criminal career in burnt out husks of buildings, an actual roof over his head might be nice to him for once.

Making sure grass grew up through the asphalt where she stepped to avoid more puddles, Ivy followed the men into the building, wary that the Riddler could be playing them for fools. The weasel in the green suit did tend to have no loyalty.

Inside they found the warehouse dark and cold.

"This better not be a trap, Nygma." Firefly hissed.

Ivy liked the sound of his voice, it sounded like he inhaled too much fire and embers and the deep velvet baritones of his voice were fogged by thick black smoke.

The Riddler - in contrast - with a voice that was a clear and well spoken tenor, laughed almost jovially. "If it is a trap, then I'm about to be ensnared too. Have a little faith, my friend."

As they wandered deeper into the warehouse, they found a small corner alight with candles, giving warmth to a cold, dead place.

A gun raised up from behind a counter, before a blonde head appeared, peeking over the edge.

Before anyone could react, the blonde was over the counter and wrapped tight around the Riddler.

A brunette soon joined, entwining Eddie in a mass of female curves.

Ivy scoffed.

"Hiya, boss!" One said.

"It was hell, they were in a helicopter and there was at least four of them shooting at us," the other added.

Barely able to keep up with the two, Ivy looked about.

She noticed almost proudly that vines were creeping up the walls and encouraged them only a little with a small puff of pheromones.

Glancing over, she noticed Firefly watching her quietly, his mask turning all about them to take in the vines. She wondered what was going on in his head. Was he thinking how fast the place would burn? Did he always think about fire? No one could really say what he was thinking, he always wore that mask of his.

They said in his solitary cell at Arkham (the only place he ever really went without his fireproof helmet) he was an older man, about forty with greying black hair and burn scars on his face, but these were rumours passed from the orderlies to the guards to the inmates.

What colour were his eyes? Was he handsome despite the scars?

Her attention turned back on the Riddler as he finally extracted himself from his girls and was beaming broadly at them.

The blonde went on about what happened, but Ivy found she still couldn't keep up with the woman's speed.

Eddie seemed to be doing fine, nodding and taking it all in.

She caught the basics, helicopter chase, guns, van flipping over, Crane hitting their enemies with a couple of fear gas grenades.

"Where is Jonathan?" Eddie asked.

The brunette stepped in calmly. "The backroom. He got it pretty bad."

"Yeah, he's back there with that cat." The blonde said.

"Selina? Was she there?" Ed asked.

"She got hurt pretty bad, didn't die though." The brunette supplied almost regretfully.

The Riddler was moving across the floor, heading for the back room. "How bad?" He asked.

Hopping up onto the counter, Ivy perched and waited for business to commence, as the Riddler and his women moved into the backroom.

She noticed the Mad Hatter huddled behind the counter and eyed him as he stroked a limp rabbit and sipped tea out of an ugly, seventies style, brown, bumpy mug.

"Whatcha got going on there, Jervis?" She asked.

He looked up at her with wild blue eyes. "March Hare."

"He doesn't look so…well." She supplied.

Jervis held the rabbit up to her.

She caught a whiff of early set decomp and leapt down from the counter.

Firefly watched this quietly.

"Oh, it's dead." She gagged a little into her hand.

"I don't think he's feeling so well, too much apple butter in his tea." Jervis warbled.

"I hate fucking crazy people," she snarled to herself.

"You just left Liddell in the dealership to die?" The Riddler demanded, his voice carrying out from the other room.

He wasn't happy.

"I didn't think his life was as important as mine!" Crane shouted back.

"Oh, and that big fucking white rabbit was important?" Eddie snarled.

Jervis jumped to his feet, his tea spilling out of his mug. "The White Rabbit's late for tea!" He exclaimed.

"Look, Liddell was just collateral anyways, Edward!" Crane replied as he hobbled after the Riddler who stormed back into the main room. "He was a human shield at best. Any information he had, we already knew. He was done. Spent. Useless. I would have done the job myself, if we weren't interrupted!"

The Riddler spun on the Scarecrow, suddenly his calm, composed self again. "No, wait…this is fine. We're doing good. Everyone's half dead, but we're all still alive and…" he paused, setting a shaking hand to his forehead, knocking his bowler off clumsily.

Everyone watched quietly.

For the past four and some days, Ivy had witnessed Edward's withdrawal's. She almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

One of his henchwomen knelt and retrieved his hat, brushing it off lovingly and placing it back on his head.

Eddie sighed. "We'll do fine. We just need to solve this riddle. And I know where to start. I have a hunch and a clue."

Ivy watched as Selina limped out of the backroom, holding on to whatever she could as she hopped along. Her right thigh had been bandaged tightly with strips of cloth, blood seeping through.

Everyone was gathering around Edward Nygma, because as much as Ivy hated to admit it, if anyone could figure out what to do next, it'd be him.

He pushed his bowler back on his head and beamed. "We need to find Ra's al Ghul." He said, tossing his cane at Selina who caught it to use.

"Anyone know where he's been keeping himself lately?" Crane inquired.

"Now that, Jonathan, is the question we're all asking." Edward replied.

Selina smirked. "I might know how to find someone who does know where Ra's is." She said.

"Talia," Ivy supplied.

"Zatanna, actually. Zatanna knows where Talia is, Talia should know where her father is. But you never know." Catwoman pointed out.

"Why would that witch know where Talia is?" Crane demanded.

Selina smirked. "Because those two seemed very tight the last time I saw them."

"Three-way catfight over the Bat, hm?" Crane inquired.

Turning violent eyes on the Scarecrow, Selina growled. "Shut up, Jon."

"I don't know if I'm comfortable having you around anymore," Crane said, "seeing as you're the bat's little cat whore."

Query and Echo beamed proudly.

"I have to agree with Professor Crane," the blonde said.

"Me too." The brunette added.

"I agree with Alice." Jervis said, moving to stand beside the blonde.

Selina eyed the two henchwomen with a quiet, unwavering look.

Ivy knew the look, the cat was plotting.

Before anyone could say anything further, Selina limped towards the Riddler and leaned in close against him to whisper in his ear, the hand that wasn't gripping the cane for support sliding over his chest and gripping the lapel of his suit jacket tightly.

The henchwomen both straightened their spines in preparation for a fight.

The Riddler listened patiently to whatever Selina Kyle was whispering, his brow furrowed delicately. Suddenly he beamed widely and she smirked, leaning her head against his, her hand toying with his tie.

Ivy took this in with deep interest. Seems some sort of power struggle was rippling among the ranks already and since she didn't know or care to know the two henchwomen, Ivy was on Lina's side.

"You make a good point, my dear." Eddie said.

Selina made a contented sound in the back of her throat and pulled away from him, yanking gently on his tie as she went.

"Selina's probably the best person to have at my side if Zatanna decides to turn her charms my way." He went on.

"I agree." Ivy spoke up, eyeing the glaring henchwomen calmly. "Selina's probably the one you'd want in any situation."

Oh, by the looks she was getting from Ed's girls, Ivy no longer had any friends there, but then again she didn't give a flying fuck. Idly fixing her hair, she noticed the glint in Catwoman's eyes and smiled softly.

"Maybe you should get your henchwomen to go and find us a better place to call HQ, Ed?" Ivy suggested. "I'm not going to align myself with any faction that meets in a crackhouse."

If she was going to be hated, she was going to go full out on that.

Of course Eddie was sharp enough to finally notice what was going on, as his eyes slid from Selina Kyle at his side to his enraged girls and over to Ivy.

Hell by now everyone in the room was beginning to get the gist of what was going on.

Even Jervis was quiet and attentive from his spot behind the counter.

"I'll find a new hole for us to crawl in." He said simply. "Tonight I just want to get some sleep."

"You're the boss," Ivy said, her tone a little mocking.

Moving away from all the females as the meeting broke, the Riddler marched across the room to take hold of Crane and push him into a corner.

She watched as the Riddler said something very low and very threateningly to his only friend as the others began to depart for their own makeshift beds for the night.

Ivy's vines grew in around the two in the corner as she strained to hear their argument.

God, she wished plants had ears.

Crane said something and the Riddler hissed one last thing to the Scarecrow before storming off in the direction of the door.

She noticed Firefly was close enough to possibly hear what just happened and moved in close to him.

"What was that all about?" She asked.

He looked down at her with that expressionless mask. "I don't gossip."

Turning on him, she set a hand against his chest and smiled. "Oh, come on, a big tough guy like you shouldn't care."

He quietly took in her offending limb before brushing it off.

She stepped back, spurned.

"Have we met?" He demanded.

Ivy blinked. "I'm sure we have."

"When?"

"A…Arkham?"

"No."

She struggled. "Uh…we…um…worked together?"

"Try again." He urged.

She sighed. "I don't think we've ever met formally."

"Then why are you touching me?"

"I'm friendly and outgoing," she purred.

"No."

She sighed. "I find you attractive?"

"Do you always lie?"

She jerked her chin back. "No."

Quietly Firefly shook his head at her and wandered off, leaving Ivy to scowl at his back.

"Well, up yours too."


	3. Girls Town

**jacksparrowlovesme - I certainly do love the Professor. He's kind of a pathetic jerk sometimes, but you have to love bastards, right?**

**Vi - That's half the reason for the shift in perspectives. I love outsiders telling the story, it leaves so much to the imagination. ^_^**

**Sorry all if my updates slow down, I just haven't had much time to sit and edit these chapters before sending them out there, but I promise this story won't die. I shall not allow it. Spy commands it, so must it be.**

**Gah, I feel qualified to treat patients with all the psychology research I've been doing on pyromania in an effort to write a believable Firefly.  
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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three: Girls Town<strong>

****Crane****

With his broken leg he was of no use to anyone.

That much was made apparent when he was stuffed in the back room alone.

It wasn't so bad when Selina was sharing the bed with him, but now all he had was Jervis and that stinking rabbit corpse of his bringing him tea and food.

God, that rabbit was getting foul.

Sullenly reading the poetry book for the eighth time, Crane pouted a little.

He hated being lame. They should have just taken him out back and shot him like an old nag.

They took away his scythe so that he couldn't go anywhere.

_You need to heal properly, Jon._ Edward had said.

At least Edward had the decency to steal power from a nearby bait shop before leaving for the night to sleep in his car.

So Crane was given an old, ratty radio that was tuned in to his grandfather's music station by Ivy who smirked wickedly and walked out of the room, leaving the radio in the furthest corner where it would be one hell of a journey for Crane to make.

_Fuck you, Pam._

Crane sighed heavily and set the book down.

He was beginning to feel like an old man sent to a nursing home. Rotting away in a room, bored to death and in an incredible amount of pain, people avoiding him like the plague.

He recalled how frosty Edward had been with him since his 'cat whore' remark.

_Call her a whore again, Jonathan and I__'ll tie you up and leave you on a rooftop for the bat. _Edward had said to him just hours ago.

_Fuck you, Ed. _The Riddler was just pissed off because he was robbed of the chance to kill Liddell himself._  
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The cat was a whore, she knew it, Crane knew it. There wasn't a single person in Gotham City who didn't know it.

"Video killed the radio star," he sang quietly to himself, hoping to drown out the godawful music playing on the radio.

To his great relief the brunette one wandered in, checking on him.

"Hey, you." He said.

She eyed him. "I have a name you know."

"I don't know it."

"Nina Damfino."

"I'll probably forget it." He said. "Come here."

She hesitated. "Why?"

"I'm bored. Come, sit. Tell me a few secrets."

The woman, Nina apparently, smiled crookedly. "Yeah, right. They said you'd try to trick us into giving you a means to get around."

"I won't trick you." Crane replied. "I'm just bored and lonesome."

"Sure you are." She said, moving to perch on the edge of the bed.

"Tell me, Gina, what was your childhood like?"

She laughed. "It's Nina. And you've got to be kidding me!"

"Dangerously sincere. I'm curious as to what makes a good girl like you turn bad."

She leaned in and whispered in his ear, "a lot of boys and even more booze."

"Big family? Middle child, desperate for attention from your father, low self esteem from your mother and, let me guess, one of your elderly siblings is highly successful and your younger siblings either live at home or are very close to the family?"

"How'd you know I come from a big family?"

"You're Italian-American, I'm only guessing you're Catholic. Am I right?"

"So?"

"So, seventy-one percent of all Italian-American, Catholic families have more than four children in a family. Therefore, you're probably from a big family. Tell me about your first sexual encounter, was it consensual?"

"Get bent." She said, pushing to her feet.

Crane caught her hand and tugged her back into place. "Okay, we'll skip that part. How's your relationship with your father?"

"Come on, what do you take me for?"

"A highly intelligent, under appreciated woman who's co-dependant on a father-figure type who barely notices you and who only shows interest when he needs something. Bisexual?"

"I like to be open minded to new possibilities." She replied.

"Of course you do. It's another side effect of your Catholic upbringing coupled with your need to rebel. Have you ever done drugs?"

"Not really. Pot sometimes."

Crane nodded. "Have any on you?"

The brunette laughed. "Is that what you wanted?"

"It may help pass the time." He replied.

Tsking, she shoved him hard. "You need a hobby."

Crane smirked. "I'm also injured, so careful with the shoving, Dina."

"Nina." She corrected.

Reaching up, he tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Come on, Nora. You're holding, aren't you?"

"No. Sorry."

"Well, if you're not going to be any help, then you can get the hell off my bed."

She stood up looking mildly confused.

"And change the radio station before you leave." He commanded.

Quirking a brow, she wandered over to the radio and giving him one last look, began to tune it.

She waited until it landed on Gotham's only country station and took off.

Crane scowled at the twangy radio.

_Fuck you, Tina._

* * *

><p>Firefly was lingering in the doorway, staring at Crane as the Scarecrow stared back at him.<p>

Neither man moved or spoke.

They had been that way for two hours.

At first it was unnerving, but after a while Crane found it kind of amusing. He just sat up in bed, eyeing Firefly as Firefly eyed him.

Between them the air was filled with country music, something about a green deer, or something.

Firefly was a tallish man, not as tall as Jonathan, but then again Crane was the tallest of all the men he knew, but as he stood in the doorway, Crane could see the man filled it nicely.

Broad shoulders, muscled figure. Firefly was strength, not so much brains. Not to say he wasn't smart, many people believed that Garfield Lynns was clever enough, but that he just had a weakness for playing with fire.

Some even whispered that he saw visions in the flames, but Crane highly doubted that. It seemed implausible.

Of course, the man commanded some respect.

In the group showers at Arkham, the other prisoners gave him his space. A wide berth for Firefly.

He wasn't even sure why or how Firefly garnered so much respect.

Maybe it was little bit of fear. The man was mentored by Killer Moth, so a lot of criminals had to respect that. Of course Crane often wondered just why a man like Killer Moth would have a falling out with Firefly. There had to be something there.

Still, no one liked a poker face and wearing a helmet, Firefly was the poster boy for poker faces.

It also didn't hurt that he was a quiet sort. Kept to himself and put in solitary for most of his Arkham stay.

The man could start a fire with little to nothing, so he was carefully monitored while on the inside.

Outside, however, Crane wasn't too excited to be sharing space with the man.

Who knew what exactly triggered his little urges for heat.

* * *

><p>Hour four into Firefly lingering just inside the door, had Crane clearing his throat and setting down the book he had been reading.<p>

Firefly had been lingering so long in the same spot that Ivy's vines had curled around his boots, making their way up his legs.

Still he remained quietly haunting the doorframe.

Brushing a frond out of his eyes, Crane noticed that Ivy's vines had already integrated themselves in the warehouse and huffed. If the plants were invading, he was going to drag his carcass out the door, because he couldn't stand the flowery bastards. All they did was just grow and take up sunlight and space, they were lazy little fuckers.

"How can you just stand there for four hours?" He demanded.

Sniffing casually, Firefly shifted on his feet. "I was promised a hot meal."

There was a bit of an awkward pause, before Firefly went on.

"Think they forgot about me." He said.

Crane nodded. "I understand abandonment. I've been tucked away in here, out of sight, out of mind."

There was another long, awkward pause.

"I don't suppose you're holding." Crane said.

Firefly stood in the doorway silently for a moment. "Pot?"

"It helps with the migraines."

"Yeah, I know."

The Scarecrow's eyes lit up. "You have some?"

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Crane watched as the flame from Firefly's silver lighter glimmered off the shiny black glass of his helmet.<p>

They had blazed up and Firefly still kept the fire going between them, not at all interested in the joint Crane was now puffing on quietly.

"Fire is a beautiful thing, isn't it?" Firefly asked softly. "It can bring down empires, but the smallest breath can put it out. It's so delicate and wild."

"You're not going to burn this place to the ground, are you?" Crane inquired.

"It's too damp." Firefly replied.

That still didn't stop him from casually dropping the lighter onto the bed.

Clamping his hand quickly over the flame before it could spread, Crane scowled. "I'm really not comfortable with you sitting there anymore."

"Are you afraid, Scarecrow?"

"I'm wearing very dry burlap with some straw stuffed inside for effect. What do you think?" Crane admitted.

Firefly tilted his head. "Fire doesn't hurt for long. It burns your nerve endings and you don't feel it after a while. If you stay in a fire long enough, you begin to feel cold. And you crave the heat, but by that point you're pretty much dead. It's the kindest death there is. Warm, comforting, bright. If you look hard enough, you can see the smile of God in the flames."

"You know fire is an interesting fixation. Freud would say your fascination with fire is because of lack of warmth in your childhood. Of course he'd also make the comparison of flames to your burning desire for…" Crane trailed off at Firefly's titled helmet.

The man quietly, simply pushed to his feet and walked off, back into the main room.

Puffing on the joint, Crane smirked. "Not only a God of Fear, but a Master of Clearing Rooms."

It was near three in the morning and Crane was still up, thumbing through the journal he found at the side of the bed and nursing the last of the joint.

As he flipped the waterlogged pages of the journal, he sang under his breath along with the music on the radio.

No one was awake at three in the morning, but he was a night owl.

"Now the revenue man wanted granddaddy bad," he muttered, marking a note in the side of the journal entry with the half chewed pen that had been tucked inside the book. He was analyzing the entries, an old habit that he couldn't shake from his psychologist days at the asylum. "He headed up the holler with everything he had."

_Can__'t understand why mommy and daddy forgot about her. _He wrote. _Severe drug dependency and a submissive personality controlled by her dealer. Own the keys to her heart and you can drive her anywhere._

Glancing up he noticed Selina Kyle leaning on the Riddler's cane in the doorway.

He didn't like that poisonous glint in her eye.

"Steve Earle fan?" She asked.

"Not really, first song I recognized on this station though. What do you want?"

"I want to know why you're so eager to get rid of me."

Crane closed the journal and set it aside, moving his splinted leg to stretch across the bed, preventing her from joining him. "I can't recall ever actively trying to get rid of you."

"I mean tonight, out there. What was that about?"

"Well him and my uncle tore that engine down," he went on singing, stamping out the roache. There wasn't much left to it anyways.

Catwoman moved across the room with a determined limp. She roughly shoved his leg aside in order to lean down over him. "What the hell is your problem with me? Whenever you get the chance, you have to be at my throat."

Gritting his teeth from her brutal treatment of his leg, Crane glowered at her. "In case you haven't noticed, cat. I do that to everyone. I'm not a real people person." He tilted his chin. "You shouldn't take things so personally."

"Bullshit!"

"Is there something I can help you with, Miss Kyle?" He asked in his best condescending psycho-analyst tone. "Are you upset about something?"

She looked away calmly. "No. I just wanted to pick a fight."

Crane smirked darkly. "That's my girl, always looking for a fight." He carefully shifted his leg back to his side of the bed and pat it invitingly. "Hop up here and we can fight as long as you want."

"Well, when you invite a girl in, it takes away all the fun of fighting." She pointed out, easing onto the bed beside him, setting the question mark cane against the wall on her side of the bed.

They fell silent.

"I don't think Eddie should go after Ra's al Ghul." She said. "The man's too much for him to handle."

"You can't tell the Riddler 'no', Selina. He's not wired that way." Crane turned his head sharply to watch her on his right. "So, what's with the power struggle between you and the girls? Is it about Edward or is it about your pride?"

"How come you don't have anyone in your life, Jon? Aren't you lonely?"

The Scarecrow scowled at his brown boots, the right one was wedged on from the swelling of his broken leg, so he kept the left one on as well. "The older a man gets, the more he comes to the realization that the human being is a trashy mammal."

Beside him Selina chuckled softly. "Trashy?"

"Low class. No class."

"And you think all people are trash?" She inquired. "Even me?"

"Especially you."

A sharp clawed hand gripped his pride roughly.

"Take it back." She whispered.

Crane shifted, trying to escape the wrath of the cat.

"Please?" She purred.

"Never." He snarled.

She twisted her grip ever so and he squeaked in protest.

"I'm beginning to think you enjoy being beaten up by me." She said, still seated calmly on her side of the bed, her fist still gripping him hard.

"I thought you were leaving for the night." He ground out from between clenched teeth.

"Don't change the subject. I'm the one who has your balls in my hand." She replied. "Do you honestly think of me as trash?"

"You're not going to get an honest answer out of me by torturing my scrotum." He hissed.

"No," she replied, eyeing her free claws. "But I am enjoying the ride."

"Sadist," he growled.

"Masochist." She shot back, releasing him and wiping her claws off on the bed between them.

Crane struggled to recover from the trauma.

"Do you think I'm trash, Jon?"

He rubbed himself, glaring at her all the while.

"Don't rub too hard, it might make God cry." She said.

"You're a vicious little pussycat, aren't you?" He demanded.

"Answer the question." She urged.

He gave her one last withering glare, before reaching for the ratty book of poetry. "I won't be getting a new pair of glasses until my next stay at Arkham." He mumbled to the book, sticking his nose in it just to read.

Feeling the cat's mercurial gaze, he turned so that the book blocked her eyes from him.

"It's not a hard question to answer, Jonny." She said. "You either think I'm trash or you don't."

Dropping the book enough to eye her, the Scarecrow frowned. Opening his mouth, he paused. A lie was on his tongue, but he hesitated. "What do you care what I think of you? My opinion should be bottom of the list for you."

"Curiosity."

"What would you say if I were perfectly honest with you?" He inquired.

"I'd be shocked."

"Are you accusing me of being a liar?"

"A perpetual one."

Crane smirked. "Maybe. But lies are much more fun to tell then truths."

"I'll tell you a truth if you tell me one." She bargained.

He stuck his nose back into the book. "I highly doubt you're being honest right now."

"It's true. I'll give you one, if you give me one."

"And how do I know you'll tell me the truth if I agree?"

"You don't. I guess you'll just have to trust me." She said.

"Ha!"

"For this once, Jon. Please?"

He eyed her. "Fine. Shake on it."

It was her turn to laugh. "Right, because your handshakes are so upstanding."

Sticking out a slender, pale hand, Crane tilted his chin downwards. "Maybe tonight's the night for a little trust."

Selina studied his hand with a hard gaze, before tentatively setting her clawed hand against it.

Wrapping his fingers around her small hand, Crane shook it once, seriously.

"Me first," he said, keeping hold of her hand.

"Fine." She replied.

"Why are you here?"

Pulling her hand away, she sighed lightly, it was more of a gentle exhalation then a sigh. "I don't know why, but…" she looked down at the book on the bed between them. "I guess Eddie and I always seem to…we have a weird gravitational pull to each other sometimes. We've had minor incidents, but there's always been a calm, unspoken camaraderie between us. I don't think he notices it, as much as I do." She looked up at Crane, violet eyes wide and honest. "I think he probably doesn't care as much as I do. I mean, you know his ego it's pretty big and…and I don't think he'll ever really see."

Crane watched Selina Kyle shift uncomfortably on the bed for a moment, before he spoke again.

"You make me sick."

"Thanks."

"No, really. You have a lot of nerve coming in here, taking advantage of a man who's high on the Mary Jane." He replied. "I'm getting a little nauseated."

A little smile appeared on her face, but she turned her head before he could see it. When she looked back at him, she was as stoic as usual. "Now it's your turn." She said.

Crane lifted an eyebrow. "I suppose…if you must."

"What do you really think of me?"

The truth was on his tongue, just hanging at the very tip, but echoes of 'Ichabod' clung to his ears and despite the promise of a truth, he told a lie to protect himself.

"I can't stand you."

Selina Kyle, Mistress of hiding her true feelings, nodded. "Okay. Fair enough." She struggled to her feet with the help of the cane and Crane watched with a little shame and regret as she limped out of the room.


	4. Prince of Space

**NoSpillBlood - Pablo is perhaps the best name for anything. ^_^**

**Vi - I always figured that Firefly would be a smoker, so it wasn't a far stretch to assume he's been hitting the reefer to help him deal with the withdrawals. Having him and Crane stoned together was just a delicious brownie treat for me. Annnnnd now I'm craving brownies...  
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**Hey, I'm no review whore, but when you kids don't check in Spy gets worried. How about showing me a little sugar, huh?  
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><p><strong>Chapter Four: Prince of Space<strong>

****Jervis****

Around the tattered and wounded group the forest was encroaching upon the table set out before them.

The Hatter, seated at the head, poured himself a cup of steaming tea from a chipped pot and beamed widely at his dinner companions.

In his seat the March Hare was silent, pondering a question posed years ago, one long, furry ear hanging limp in his tea cup.

The Dormouse said nothing as well, awaiting the answer to the question posed.

"And you don't think it's suspicious that everyone connected with these drugs are dead or dying?" The Cheshire Cat demanded of the Caterpillar.

Always searching deep within himself and others for answers, the Caterpillar responded with a sharp, "ah, but therein lies the riddle. Why administer drugs that cause addiction? Everything about the League indicates that they'd kill us in an instant. Why addiction?"

The Gryphon 'hjckrrh'd' and woke from his dozing slumber near the path into the other realm, but said nothing on the matter.

"You're an idiot for going after them," the Red Queen snarled.

"Don't give me that," the Caterpillar shot back quickly. "You want answers just as much as the rest of us. Or have you forgotten about your poor plants?"

Hurrying about the table he had set so haphazardly, the Hatter refilled cups left and right, smiling the entire while.

The Mock Turtle, with his shell upon his back, grabbed hold of the Hatter roughly and shoved him back from the table. "Get away from me with that rotting corpse." He growled.

The Hatter blinked and eyed the March Hare who had accompanied him. Hurrying on, he slumped into an empty chair beside Alice and smiled shyly.

"Alice?" He whispered.

"You're only going to rustle up pain and anguish, Ed!" The Cheshire declared.

"Look, pal, the boss said I ain't allowed to let you call me 'Alice'." Alice said. "My name's Diedre."

The Hatter blinked. "No. You're Alice, a more perfect Alice has never Aliced."

"Keep moving." She ordered.

Embarrassed, the Hatter hurried on, pouring tea and flopping into his seat with a sigh.

The March Hare continued to ponder the question.

"I don't scare easily, Selina dear." The Caterpillar stated. "First we'll get to the bottom of this. Solve the riddle, if you will. Then we'll worry about what to do. Anyone who doesn't want to help out knows where the door is."

"I have an idea," the Gryphon finally broke in. "Why don't you all stop bitching about our problems and go and solve them."

"What's wrong, Jon? Are you coming down already?" The Red Queen demanded.

"Your voice grates on my nerves." The Gryphon snarled and went back to sleep.

The Hatter spied quiet words exchanged between the Caterpillar and the Cheshire Cat as she wove herself around his neck.

Alice pushed to her feet. "I think the cat has to go!"

"Too many cooks in the kitchen," the Duchess agreed.

The Red Queen made a soft, snort-like laugh. "Eddie, since when do the minions get to sit at the big boys table? Last I checked, they were only hired help."

"Don't you dare bad mouth Alice!" The Hatter exclaimed pushing to his feet.

All eyes turned on him and the Hatter dropped back into his seat complacently.

"Tea anyone?" He asked calmly

The Mock Turtle was the first to speak after the outburst. "If I wanted to work with a bunch of kids, I'd go make shoes in Bangladesh. I'm out."

"Don't burn your bridges yet, my friend." The Caterpillar said swiftly. "I think if you hold out just a little bit longer with my plan, you'll get your taste of sulphur and brimstone."

Still wrapped around the Caterpillar's neck and shoulders, the Hatter watched as the Cheshire wove lies into his burgundy hair.

At the table the Duchess and Alice both braced themselves for a fight.

The Hatter sipped his tea, hands shaking. He could feel the Jabberwocky enclosing upon them, it's hot breath on the nape of his neck.

"Who put you in charge?" The Red Queen demanded.

"I'm a thinker, Pammie. You're the doer." The Caterpillar replied.

"Yeah, and what I'm going to do right now is string you up, _Eddie_."

"String me up and I'll tell the entire table about what you did with me under the moonlight. Remember?" The Caterpillar shot back.

The Hatter noticed all eyes were suddenly open and turned on the Caterpillar's smug smirk.

Dipping in closer to his teacup, he prepared for war as all sides of the battle now seemed tensing and the Jabberwocky drew in one last breath before the snap of his scaly jaws.

"I'll just have to gag you then." The Red Queen replied calmly. "Maybe a vine down the throat to choke on?"

"Sounds like a typical Saturday night for you, Pam. Cramming things down your throat."

The Gryphon painfully drew himself to his feet, slamming a claw onto the table loudly. "Alright!" He snarled. "The next person who says a goddamned word gets fear gassed into oblivion!" He 'hjckrrh'd' and turned sharp eyes on the entire table. "I'm in pain, I'm bored and god help me I'm sober. So keep your sloppy maws shut!"

"Stop being a whiny bitch," the Red Queen said.

The Gryphon eyed her with his predator eyes, before nodding to himself calmly. "Okay, let's do this." He patted himself down, searching for something.

"Oh holy hell, he's really going to do it." The Caterpillar said, pushing to his feet and backing away from the table.

The rest of the table backed away.

"Alright, Jon, just calm down." The Cheshire tried to reason.

Pulling out something from the burlap satchel roped to his waist, the Gryphon tilted his head and held the object up high. "I'm not really in the mood to be in the middle of a bitchfest." He snarled.

"We're not really in the mood to be fear gassed, hon." The Cheshire said, moving to wrap around him. It was a long reach for her, as the Gryphon towered over all others, only beat out in height by the mighty Jabberwocky. "Put the toy away, Jonny." She purred in his ear.

At the end of the table the Hatter spied the Caterpillar cock his head ever so, just a twitch of a movement as he pocketed his hands in his trousers and angled his jaw. There was a glint of embers and hellfire in his eyes that was masked by ice.

The Hatter took a calming sip of tea.

"Let's not lose our heads," the Caterpillar finally said.

Ducking under the table in self-preservation mode, the Hatter made for the exit. Was the Queen of Hearts already starting on that so early in the morning?

"Great, where's he going now?" The Red Queen demanded.

Curling into a ball, the Hatter protected his teacup and his head from her wrath.

"I'll get him," the Mock Turtle sighed.

A hand gripped the Hatter's purple coat and he was dragged out from under the table, teacup and all by the Mock Turtle.

He struggled not to spill his tea as the Mock Turtle manhandled him.

"Look," the Caterpillar said calmly. "We're all a little messed up. Let's take three days to collect ourselves, in the meantime I need to find a new place to call home and Selina may I have a word with you?" He added the last bit so quickly that everyone needed a beat in time before it processed.

Sipping his tea, the Hatter blinked, watching as the Cheshire seemed to hesitate, before unwinding her arms from around the Gryphon's mighty shoulders. He felt the pressure of being held withdraw and he was released from the Mock Turtle's grip, still sipping his tea.

How sad. He was almost out.

The Hatter went on a mission to find a teapot full of tea.

As he wandered the slapdash table set up, he hefted all the broken and chipped pots he had gathered on his outings since they fled the Jabberwocky at the castle of the Caterpillar, there weren't many, but he had a knack of finding teapots.

Most of them were full, but they were too full. He wanted the one that was perfectly full.

As he wandered the table, he passed the Caterpillar and Cheshire Cat who were hell bent on getting out the door and into the cool morning air.

Finally near the mighty Gryphon he found the perfect pot and helped himself to a dash of tea, slopping it carefully into the broken, fine boned teacup.

The pot was grabbed from his hands by the Gryphon and tossed across the room, where it smashed on the hard floor.

Slamming the Hatter backwards onto the table, the beast leaned over him threateningly.

"If you don't throw out that fucking dead rabbit of yours, I'm going to pluck your eyeballs from your skull and let them dangle so that you can keep a fine eye on your shoes without ever tilting your head." The Gryphon rumbled.

The Hatter blinked up at him. "You spilled the tea."

Winding a strong taloned hand around his neck, the Gryphon 'hjckrrh'd' and squeezed.

"I will be your Jabberwocky, little man."

The Hatter's blue eyes widened and his mouth drew into a tiny pucker. "Oh."

"Now go out to the docks and give it a proper burial at sea." The Gryphon said.

"I don't think the March Hare would like that."

"I will destroy you."

"Ease up, big boy," the Red Queen commanded, sliding her hip onto the table beside the Hatter's shoulder. "Let me take it from here."

"Fine, but if he doesn't throw that rabbit out, I'm shoving it in a very uncomfortable place."

"Antarctica?" The Hatter asked, as the Red Queen helped him back to his feet.

The Gryphon 'hjckrrh'd' one last time, before hobbling off back into the other realm.

"Sweetie," the Red Queen began, her hand on his chest, rubbing a light circle on it. "Why don't you do me a favour?"

"You want some tea?" He warbled.

"No, baby," she purred, sliding her hand up his chest and hooking it over his shoulder. "But I want you to take the March Hare out to the docks and toss him into the water. Can you do that for me?"

The Hatter caught a whiff of something he couldn't put his finger on, something like ozone and earth, as the Red Queen tilted in close to him.

"Please, Jervis, toss the March Hare and the Dormouse out to sea, for me?"

"Alright, your majesty, for you." He whispered, turning to collect his friends.

A hand smacked against his bottom and he leapt in mild surprise.

The Red Queen beamed at him wickedly. "There's a good boy."

* * *

><p>Watching his friends float out to sea, the Hatter removed his top hat and sighed.<p>

"Begin at the beginning," he began softly, "and go on till you come to the end: then stop."

He watched the sun rise up over the waters of the vast sea and smiled a little. It was like fire touching down, sending sparks of light and glimmers of stories untold across a vast, imperfect mirror. He liked the sunrise.

Feeling proud of his parting words, the Hatter spun on his heel and marched off, back towards the forest.

As his well worn congress gaiters clip-clopped on the weathered boards of the wharf, he rubbed his hands idly on his thighs. A hot cup of tea would solve the anxiety he was suddenly feeling. He couldn't even remember why he had to say 'farewell' to his most adored companions, but he did.

As he neared the entrance into the forest, he heard a commotion from around a corner and followed it curiously.

"If you think you can just come around my lairs, shaking your tail at anything that moves, you can guess again, kitten." The Caterpillar hissed.

Carefully the Hatter poked his nose around the corner.

The Caterpillar had the Cheshire Cat pressed against the wall, trapped by his arms and was growling lowly at her as she eyed him calmly, danger in her eyes.

"I will not put up with you fucking Crane, it'll only distract him."

The Cheshire laughed softly, it was almost a vocal shrug. "From what? He's laid up, no real use, what's a little fuck going to do? Besides from what I hear you've been fucking anything with tits."

Again the Hatter felt that horrible Jabberwocky breathing down his neck and he cringed at the feeling of white hot war glaring down at him.

For the longest time the Caterpillar glared steadily at the Cheshire Cat, before he stepped away from her, yanking hard on his over coat to smooth the wrinkles out of it. "You know, my dear, that attitude of yours won't get you very far in life."

"Oh baby, you haven't seen my attitude at full power yet. It gets better." She purred, wrapping his tie around her clawed paw and roping him in closer.

The Hatter could swear he saw lightening bugs dancing in the eyes of both the performers and tilted his head like a curious mutt.

Adjusting his tie, the Caterpillar eyed the Cheshire warily.

Electricity drove across the sky and all around and the Hatter gripped the corner's edge with curled fingers, watching as a beat of time passed.

Reaching out, the Caterpillar gripped the Cheshire's chin with long, graceful fingers. He tilted her head back, to look her in the eyes, a fined boned, waisted thumb sliding across the cat's plump bottom lip.

A storm filled the air, though the morning was clear and the Hatter smiled a little to himself.

The Caterpillar's mouth was a whispered smile as he dropped his chin slightly, in a nodding bow to the cat.

Her eyes were alive with what the Hatter could only describe as delicate vibrations ringing off of silver spoons despite the fact that they were - in fact- quite violet in colour.

Leaning his mouth down close to hers, the Caterpillar angled his head.

The Hatter ducked back shyly from peeping, only to drag his face out again to take the tiniest peek.

They were still there, close enough to kiss, with the Caterpillar's mouth just inches away from the Cheshire Cat's.

"Maybe you shouldn't be so eager to fuck the Scarecrow," the Caterpillar whispered hoarsely. "I hear two dominant's in bed don't really work."

The Cheshire's claws flexed into the Caterpillar's side. "Oh? And are you offering to just lie back and take it, Ed?" She asked.

He grunted from the claws to the side and tilted his head with a smile, the muscles in his sharp jaw line flexing. "Behave yourself, pussycat." He warned quietly, fingertips brushing against a cut on her high cheekbone from the incident in the belly of the beast.

The Cheshire Cat lowered long, thick lashes over her flower eyes and breathed out. "Lose the girls, Ed." She whispered darkly. "Because I'm not sure how long I can play nice with them."

"I can't do that, Selina." He replied.

"Okay, you've made your choice and I'll respect it." She replied, slipping out from between him and the wall.

The Hatter, seeing the Cheshire's approach, hurried back towards the gates and slid inside the forest in the nick of time.

He heaved a sigh and wandered through the forest, looking for Alice and a perfectly full pot of tea.


	5. The She Creature

**JannaKalderash - Haha! When have I ever shown any desire to pair up Selina with Crane...except almost always. O_O Wait. I may actually ship Crane/Selina. (But I never will...or will I?)  
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**bleedy - Mah, you've stroked my ego sufficiently. Thanks. ^_^  
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**jacksparrowlovesme - I do enjoy the Riddler/Catwoman pairing, but this story might turn you off a bit as I'm going to be giving my love to Scarecrow and Ivy for a while (I wanted to try something a little different). I'll probably get back to Riddler/Catwoman at some point, plus I'd love to write a few chapters from Fireflies POV.  
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**Violeta27 - When's your story gonna be updated? Hm? Hm? *nudge nudge*  
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**Matchet Hatchet - Oh, did I get something wrong in the last chapter? If you could point out exactly where I got confuzzled, please let me know. I can fix it. Thanks.  
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**Pinkqueen - I'd love to do another chapter from the Hatters POV. I might yet. I enjoyed writing it a lot.  
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**Bootless Errand - Don't worry, things should smooth out nicely soonish. And I've been thinking of a few other POV chapters, so I'll definitely think about adding a Two Face chapter. Thanks for the suggestion.  
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**KrnYong - Scarecrow is one of my favourites as well and I've actually been basing all the characters off of a site I found where actual psychologists analyze the more realistic psyche's of the villains. Which is why my Crane isn't a sociopath as many would write him, but he has a realistic social disorder that causes him to - for lack of a better term - shit disturb purely because it amuses him (this is also why he enjoys frightening people). This whole part of the story is going to be off and on from his POV so strap yourself in, because there's going to be a lot of Scarecrow coming up.  
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**antihero276 - I don't know why people don't write Firefly, he's always been one of my favourite of the lesser known rogues (could be that I might be a pseudo fire bug myself). ^_^  
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**The Fortune Teller - I agree. I enjoy jealous Eddie too and for some reason him being jealous of Crane amuses me too.  
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**Geez, I'm sorry for the very, very late update kids. I've been so busy working on my original works that my fanfiction got brushed aside and I feel like a gigantic jerk for it. Anyways, here's a chapter I hope it'll tide you over until I can get another posted. ^_^  
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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five: The She Creature<strong>

****Ivy****

"If you're going to be breathing my oxygen and ruining my daily view," she explained, shoving a spray bottle of water laced delicately with plant food into Jonathan Crane's bony hands, "then you're gonna be put to work."

Frowning deeply at her, Crane stubbornly dropped the bottle on the floor. It had been in his hands for all of a nano second.

Ivy sighed deeply. Eddie had asked her to house him for a while, while he searched for a new hideout and Crane was adament that he was fine on his own, but with someone out there offing villains who escaped from Arkham, no one wanted to take a chance. Especially with the Purveyor of Fear off the ice with an injury.

But he was still a raging dick who had no respect for her or her work and got under foot as often as he could just to prove he was still able to move around.

"Pick that up," she ordered.

"No."

Her hand shot out and a sharply manicured finger slid into his mouth and painfully hooked him like a fish, dragging him down so that they were eye to eye. "Pick it up."

"Uhn," he grunted negatively.

Hooking her other finger into the opposite side of his mouth, she stretched it comically. "Pick the spray bottle up and get to work."

Dropping his crutches, he gripped her waist with long, bony fingered hands and hiked her up onto her worktable, setting her down roughly.

Ivy was amazed at that little feat of strength from the scrawny man and actually pulled her fingers from his mouth in shock.

"I don't like your weeds and I won't work towards their betterment." He snarled.

"You're a guest here," she began.

He cut her off with a snort. "That's the beauty of being an antagonist, Pammie. I don't have to care about the thinly veiled appearance of manners anymore."

She tilted her head as one of her vines wrapped around his good leg, pulling it out from under him.

The Scarecrow hit the ground with a jarring thump and slid backwards as the vine pulled him into the air to dangle above her head.

"If you can't stay out from under foot and if you won't help, you can rot up there like a ham in a butcher shop window." She replied, hopping off the table.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, after dangling for an hour and fifty minutes, Crane sulked as he sat at her worktable, spritzing her sprouts with jaded malice. A sneer on his face, his chin cradled in one hand.<p>

Ivy went about her own work, paying him enough attention to make sure he wasn't harming her babies, but generally ignoring him as he sullenly spritzed the plants.

"I don't agree with Edward's diagnosis of you, you know." He growled wearily.

She kept transplanting her babies gently, her back to him. "Oh?"

"I don't think you're a homosexual. Maybe bisexual. After all the only interest you've shown towards a woman is Harleen and she's hardly available. Of course, I don't think you like men either. Considering your treatment of the male of the species, I would imagine-"

Ivy turned on him. "I don't enjoy being analyzed, _Jonny_. Keep your psycho-babble to yourself."

"Everyone dislikes being analyzed, Pam. Why do you think I enjoy doing it so much?" He returned.

She put her attention back on her work.

"I wonder what it was, that triggered this extreme hatred. Rape, maybe? Someone take your flower without your permission?" He inquired.

Stabbing the seeding needle into the dirt, Ivy stubbornly ignored him.

"No…not rape. Maybe you were molested as a little girl? Hn? Daddy take liberties at bath time?" He went on, his voice a little closer.

Ivy continued to ignore him. All the Scarecrow wanted was a reaction, he was a psychological bully, liked to weasel his way into one's brainpan and play around with their psyche. She wouldn't play his game.

"Or maybe," he purred, voice right in her ear now, breath hot on her neck, "you were beaten and battered down by a dominant male…maybe, you were just some sweet, innocent girl until a man got his hands on you. Perhaps a man in a position of power. One you may have admired as an innocent school girl?"

Echoes of a cherub-like innocent haunted her memories and for a brief moment Ivy was just Pamela Isley again. That adorably geeky girl who loved nature so much, she studied plants in an effort to be closer to understanding them. But they died in horror and darkness, tainted by madness.

Blinking away the tears that were forming in her eyes, she gripped the trowel she had been working with and turned around to find Crane standing behind her, towering over her with his tall, intimidating form.

"You know, Jon," she began, her voice cutting off at the sight of his eyes. They were taunting or teasing, but merely probing, inquisitive.

Jonathan Crane was trying to figure her out.

It made her smile wickedly.

"Get back to work." She said and to her surprise, he listened to her.

* * *

><p>The next few days confused her.<p>

Not once did Crane make a nuisence of himself.

In fact - she noted - he actually tried to help her.

The Scarecrow didn't do anything without a purpose and she was on her guard at all hours waiting for something to happen.

He was such a strange creature, she decided.

Crane hobbled about on his crutches, perfectly able to ignore her presence. Not needing to talk constantly to fill the silence, he came and went quietly and after that first conversation about her origins, he never pressed her further for information about her previous life.

"Strange," she said as they sat around in her personal Eden, snacking on the ribs Jon had bought from a little barbeque place nearby.

He politely swallowed and daubed at his mouth with a paper napkin. "Hm? What's strange?"

"We haven't worked together much, have we?"

"Unless you count me stealing from your chem stores for my experiments, then no, not really." He replied.

"I've always thought you were some murderous misanthrope." She said. "But you're not exactly the evil monster I imagined you'd be."

A cold, almost inhuman smirk graced the man's face. "Give it time, Pam. I might just be lulling you into a false sense of security before I make my move."

"With a broken leg?" She asked.

"Could happen. You don't know the extent of my ingenuity."

"I know you're pretty much useless when you're altogether, so you're basically a blind kitten with a broken leg." She replied.

Crane angled his chin. "Don't challenge me, my child. I usually accept."

"Don't worry, Pam. I've been told his bark is a precursor to his bite, it'll give you time to shut his trap with your little green minions." Edward broke in, stepping out of the shadows of the outside world.

He looked as prepared for battle as a man in a green suit and purple domino mask could look and from the vines that draped about him, he had already fought Ivy's guardians.

Leaning on his trademark cane, Edward cocked his hip and eyed the two of them with a gleam in his vibrant eyes. "Hn, would have thought one would have killed the other by now."

"Those had better not be my morning glory hybrid vines you're wearing," Ivy snarled a cold greeting.

"Why, Pam, I was insulted they even attacked me. I'm such a dear old friend." Edward began with a dashing grin. "After all, we danced under the moonlight, you and I."

The red head caught the Riddler by the tie and yanked hard. "That," she growled, "was just me getting caught up in the moment, don't think you're anything special."

"Ow," Edward whined mockingly, "you hurt my feelings."

"What brings you here, Edward," Crane broke in calmly. "Besides trying to pick a fight with Pamela."

Studying the confident way the Scarecrow limped towards his good friend, back straight, chest out proudly, Ivy noted that there was a hint of amusement flickering in the pale depths of the man's eyes.

"I just wanted to let you both know I'm heading overseas," Edward said.

Crane chuckled. "And?"

"And what?" The Riddler inquired.

"And you didn't just come here to tell us that."

Pocketing his hands, the Riddler allowed his cane to dangle from his forearm. "You want more from me, Jonathan?"

"I'm expecting more than just a 'faretheewell'." Crane replied.

Edward beamed. "Well, if you're that bored. I may have something the two of you could work on for me." He fished around in his inner jacket pocket, "since the withdrawals are easing their grips on us, I still think it's a good idea to have some form of cure or easement for them. Black Mask was on my ass about it and with me going across the ocean, I won't have time for research, but you two, however, seem to have all the time in the world." He held out the baggie containing the pill from Arkham.

Ivy took it quietly. "Well, at least you're finally handing over the pill to someone even remotely smart enough to deal with it." She said.

The Riddler arched an eyebrow at her, but chose to keep quiet.

Touching a hand to his chin, Jonathan Crane studied his old friend. "Just who's going with you on this trip, anyways? Surely you're not going alone."

"None of your business, that's who."

"Sounds like 'Catwoman' is the answer," Crane replied.

Tapping his cane almost warningly at Crane, the Riddler turned and walked off, leaving Ivy and Jonathan to smirk at his back.

* * *

><p>It was later as he was thumbing through a book on Civil War medical photography that he stole from the local library, that Ivy wandered into the area.<p>

"He's flirting with danger, you know." She pointed out.

She watched as Crane stubbornly ignored her, studying the photo of an eighteen year old boy who lost most of his hand and three fingers to amputation. When she cleared her throat, Crane grunted a casual reply.

"I mean, she's going to eat him alive. That geek isn't prepared to cope with Selina's personality." Ivy went on, crossing her arms and resting her hip against a nearby tree. "Besides, she's pissed off at him right now. Apparently he slept with both those bimbos of his. Ha, I doubt it but-"

Flipping the page, Crane smirked darkly. "Who told you this?"

"I heard it from Jervis who over heard it from Selina."

"Where do you think Jervis heard it from?" Crane inquired.

Ivy crossed her arms and studied the man. He seemed pleased with himself for some reason. "I'm not sure. Why?"

"Just curious. I always like to trace gossip to it's roots."

"And just how far does this gossip go?" She inquired.

Jonathan Crane peered up at her simply, his face blank. "How would I know? I don't partake in gossip. Now, this is just macabre, why on earth would they photograph a grieving widow? Where's the corpse?"

Having enough of having to look at the disgusting war photography that he had immersed himself in, Ivy turned and wandered off back into her greenhouse. It was bad enough she hated human beings, but having to look at them at their worst was not something she wanted to spend her evening doing.

Checking on her babies as she wandered past them, she stopped at her workbench long enough to notice something was amiss from it. It wasn't anything major, but it was enough to give her that tingle that crawled up the back of her neck.

Somewhere in her garden a shadow moved among the leaves and fronds of the jungle plants and she gasped, her vines immediately going into protection mode and she took off running for the door to warn the Scarecrow.

A kunai came out the jungle and embedded itself into the trunk of one of her beloved sequoias just a hand's width from grazing her breasts and she pulled herself to such a short stop that her red hair flew out before her like a curtain of crimson.

Her vines were already working on criss-crossing between her and her attacker, giving her a shield of thick woody protection. She knew half of them would be winding their way through the greenhouse, seeking out intruders and wrapping them up securely, but it wouldn't be enough if there were more than a handful.

"Crane!" She called out as she neared the door. "Crane!"

Flames of pain sliced into her shoulder from behind and she staggered, but didn't fall, turning instead to throw a handful of thorns in the direction of her attacker, but another kunai sliced into the flesh of her thigh and she knew there were too many intruders for her babies to protect her from.

The pain began fogging the edges of her vision and she sunk to her knees, still prepared to go down fighting.

As a form came to stand over her, one of her nearby plants threw a cloud of spores up into his face, but the mask he wore prevented any damage from being done. The masked man gripped her by the arms and threw her headfirst into the trunk of the tree.

Ivy faded out of consciousness momentarily, when she faded back into reality she saw a blurry weapon raised, the blade prepared to deliver the death blow. She blinked and faded out again. Fading in long enough to find the blade gone, replaced with the curved metal of a scythe, she gasped in confused fear.

"You landed in the wrong Scarecrow's garden," the new form over her muttered darkly.

Then she was floating over the earth while the voice growled something to her. Or maybe they were growling in general, all she knew was that she couldn't make sense of anything.

Ivy knew she should recognize the tone, but the man's voice evaded her memory as she slipped into the darkness again.

* * *

><p>The first thing that registered with her was the scent smoke.<p>

Opening her eyes, she found a creepy pair of pale blue eyes peering down at her.

Ivy groaned and shoved Crane away from her weakly. "Get off me, Frankenstein."

He quirked a brow. "If I had feelings, you would have hurt them."

Sitting up suddenly, she remembered what had happened. "My babies!"

Crane gripped her tightly. "Leave them. The greenhouse is gone. Those bastards set fire to it when I started killing them off. They're suicidal."

Gazing into the distance, across the bridge of the small Chinese garden behind her greenhouse, she sobbed. "Bastards." Staggering to her feet, she raged harder at the blaze. "You fuckers!"

At her side Crane got to his feet as well, leaning on his scythe to steady himself. "It's for the best, Pam. The only way we survived is because they made the decision to go kamikaze and take everyone out. Come on, there might be more on the way."

She violently shoved him away from her as his hand touched her shoulder. "Go to hell! If you want to leave then leave! I'm not running from another home again!"

"Pam, you're smarter than this." Crane argued.

Stubbornly she flopped back onto the ground. Eyeing the blaze, she hoped that it would die. The sooner it died the sooner she could rebuild. Turning her eyes to the sky, she prayed for rain, something that would end the fury of the fire.

Beside her Jonathan Crane eased onto his ass on the ground and sighed. "Well, if you're not running, there's no way I'm going to look like a chicken shit by running. Of course this means you're going to kill us both, but whatever that's on your head."

"Don't hang whammies on me," she muttered, still watching the flames with determination. She was enraged about witnessing yet another greenhouse going up in smoke, but what pissed her off even more was having to admit that the Scarecrow may have just saved her life and that at some point she might have to thank him.

"Firefighters will arrive soon, I'd imagine." He pointed out.

"I'll hide until they leave."

"You should let me stitch you up, your wounds are still bleeding you dry." He said.

"I don't care."

Tsking, Crane eased back on his hands. "Well, then die for all I care."

"I don't need you anyways." She snapped.

After a long moment of silence, Crane shifted at her side. "You've lost all your leaves, by the way." He added bitterly.

She glanced down to find her modest coverage had fallen off somewhere between her being knocked out cold, to waking and scowled, immediately growing new coverage. She didn't care really, but she hated giving men a free show.

They both glared at the fire.

Ivy swore that she could hear her babies screaming out to her.

"I've seen better." Crane stated.

"Pervert," she snapped.


	6. City On Fire

**jacksparrowlovesme - You enjoyed their carping, well get ready because this chapter is chock full. Also, enjoy a big ol' helping of Firefly.  
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**CarpalTunnelLove - Tsk, flattery will get you everywhere with me. ^_^  
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**The Fortune Teller - Ah, you're on to me, huh? Yes, trying to build a bridge between the two. But since Jon only knows how to pick fights, he's taking the long way to get to friendship, I'd imagine.  
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**bleedy - You got so excited it got me all excited! XD I'm hoping to get back to this story for good now, though I may not update as quickly as I used to.  
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**lokisdashiz - Well thank you. First time reviews are always welcome. ^_^  
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**I edited this chapter late, late at night (or perhaps it's more accurate to say early in the morning) so any errors are completely my fault, but don't be a jerk and point them out rudely. Let me know with style and a little kindness, hm? Or better yet, don't let me know at all. It's just fanfiction after all.  
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><p><strong>Chapter Six: City On Fire<strong>

****Firefly****

Visions of smoke and hellfire flashed across his mind's eye, before a tap on his boots caused Lynns to sit up with a soft snort.

He had fallen asleep again while waiting for Tetch to brew the 'perfect' batch of tea.

The short little fellow was haphazard about everything in his life but his tea. It took two goddamned hours for the 'perfect brew'.

Leaning over Lynns, the fellow blinked his wide, mad eyes and sniffed. "Time for tea."

Dragging the back of his hand across his mouth, he ignored the rasp of his stubble as he reclaimed his dignity by wiping away a small trickle of drool that had escaped his mouth during his nap and moved to sit at the table with the Mad Hatter.

"Would you prefer the India International or the English Breakfast?" Jervis asked. "I also made a pot of Pekoe, some Earl Grey in a boot, a kettle of Darjeeling and half a pickle jar of Chai. I'm so pleased to have company!" He suddenly exclaimed clapping his hands together. "So very pleased!"

No one had really told him to keep an eye on Jervis who had wandered around Gotham after the others split up for a good two days before settling in an old garden shed of some abandoned shack in the middle of a swampy patch on the outskirts, but Lynns needed a place to doze and he found Jervis asked less questions then Nygma or Crane.

If there was one thing he had come to loathe it was questions. Everyone seemed to need answers lately and he had none.

Setting his hands down on the shaky table, Jervis leaned over it, beaming madly at Lynns. "Or if you'd prefer, I made my own blend. It's finely crafted with twigs and dead leaves from the land outside this dwelling."

"Swamp tea, hm?" Narrowing his eyes at the mad man, Lynns patted his person for his pack of cigarettes and lighter. "Do you have coffee available?" He grunted, finding his pack in his pants pocket. Shaking one out, he tucked it in between his lips, before noticing the dark look of pure fury that had come over the Mad Hatter.

"Coffee?" He sputtered. "How perfectly imaginary your world must be."

Calmly lighting his cigarette, Lynns eyed the poor, crazy bastard quietly, blowing a stream of smoke into the air out of the side of his mouth.

"Coffee, how utterly bizarre," Jervis went on, the quiet rage that was building in his voice coming out as pure poison. "Coffee."

Dashing all the pots and jars and cups and saucers the mad man had arranged onto the floor, Jervis stood panting over the mess he created, eyes wild. "There is no place in heaven or on earth for such a sludge as coffee!" He shrieked. "You are mad! Mad, mad, mad, mad, mad," the man stomped around the room throwing an epic fit, grasping his hair and tugging.

Placing his boots up on the now clear table, Lynns blew out a puff of smoke. "So, no coffee then?"

Falling silent quite suddenly, Jervis smoothed down his hair and replaced his top hat with a small smile. "Well, how about a cup of Darjeeling?"

"Make it strong."

* * *

><p>"First they drug us," he muttered to himself later that night, long after Jervis passed out on his small raggedy cot from too much sugary sweets with his tea. "Then they destroy us."<p>

Flicking his lighter open and closed, Lynns traced the grooves of the tabletop with the hand that cradled a lit cigarette, eyeing the smoke that drifted upwards, towards God's face.

"First they drug us," he murmured, clicking the lighter open and watching the dancing little blue and orange flame. "Then they destroy us," he whispered, snapping the lid of his Zippo closed, extinguishing the fire.

Taking a drag of his cigarette he allowed the smoke to furl out of his slightly open mouth, before sucking it back in a ghost inhale.

The silver Zippo clicked open again.

"First they drug us."

Click.

"Then they destroy us."

Click.

"And if any man will hurt them," he muttered, "fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed."

Stamping out his smoke, Firefly dropped his boots from the tabletop and stood up, stooping quickly to scoop up his gear from the floor, before making for the door.

On the cot Jervis snorted gently and squeezed the squeaky dog toy rabbit he had found in a dumpster tighter to his chest.

Firefly paused long enough to eye the strange little man, before turning to head towards the cot.

Pulling a incendiary grenade from his belt, he placed it on the floor by the cot within reaching distance for the Mad Hatter to use in the event of an emergency. It wasn't that he cared about the odd little duck, Lynns just wanted to leave a reminder to the mad man that he would be back and he figured he might as well make it useful.

The rabbit squeaked again and Jervis opened sleepy blue eyes. "Are you on an adventure, Mock Turtle?" He murmured.

Firefly tilted his chin down to study the little nut bar. "What?"

"Curiouser and curiouser," Jervis mumbled, before turning over in the cot, snuggling under the worn, rough blanket. "To…grin…without a…"

Jerking his chin to his chest in a gesture of confusion, Firefly set a few more grenades at the cot's side and wandered off, out the door and into the night.

* * *

><p>He followed the scent of smoke, deep into the heart of the wilds surrounding Gotham's outskirts, something somewhere nearby was burning.<p>

Wandering almost aimlessly, he moved through the darkness of Gotham's industrial areas back alleys and side streets.

The police scanner he had installed in his helmet lead him directly to the source of the fire, but he didn't want to draw attention to himself by just strolling by, so he took to the shadows and darkness, creeping upon the blaze like a sneak-thief in the night.

As he drew nearer to the old Chinese gardens, his heart began beating erratically, like a man left out of something big.

He could see the orange glow in the distance like daybreak bursting over the horizon and his lungs began to pant for air.

Firefly wanted in on the bonfire. He wanted to be the one soaring on the updrafts of the flames, relishing in the heat and the roar of the combustion.

Crouching in a shadowy area by a wall, he watched the fire touch the starlit night sky and beamed inside his helmet. He firmly believed that God's countenance would shine upon him if he focused hard enough.

It was a wolfish, greedy grin that touched his lips, one that wanted to devour everything and nothing at all.

Pressing a button to expand his wings, he took a step out of his shadowy protection, in time to be stopped by the sound of feet dragging over gravel.

"Stop pulling me, you gigantic ass!" Someone snarled in a hushed whisper.

Fire trucks wailed somewhere on the other side of the blaze, but it wasn't enough to drown out the voices in the darkness near him.

The fire soaked up all the light, throwing everything around it into a deeper darkness. Of course it was just an optical illusion, the night was no darker, but with light blazing in one eye, the shadows in the other seemed eternal.

Firefly pressed himself into the shadows as a couple passed near him, the tall, bony man gripping the woman's wrist tightly and half dragging her away from the fire.

"You're welcome to sit your ass back down and go to Arkham, Pam." The man snarled.

Lynns angled his head and giving the fire one last, doleful look, followed the couple, moving to trail them by only a foot of space. They didn't even notice him in their haste to escape.

"You Humans are all alike," Poison Ivy accused. "You don't care if you chop down a hundred year old tree or eat a carrot fresh from it's nurturing earth, as long as it pleases you."

"We are selfish creatures driven by our instincts, Pamela. You know, instincts like survival? I'm sure that rings a bell in that thick skull of yours."

"You know, one of these days I'm going to cram a vine in all your orifices just to shut you up." Ivy growled.

Eyeing the way she limped heavily, relying on Crane's arm for support (which was hilarious to Lynns as the Scarecrow himself needed to rely on his scythe for mobility), he decided that she must have injured herself and from the green blood on her shoulder that glistened in the light of the blaze behind them, he figured there must have been some kind of scrap.

"All my orifices, Pammie? Or just the ones that speak the truth?"

"Ha! If you spoke the truth even once I'd drop dead of ergot poisoning." She replied sharply.

"Who started the fire?" Lynns broke in, growing tired of listening to them bitch and snap at each other like an old, married couple.

Both of them spun on him, Ivy nearly falling on her ass in her unbalanced state and Crane teetering as he raised his scythe.

"Figures," Crane muttered, leaning on his scythe once more, "you'd be the one man I would expect to find buzzing around a fire."

"Anyone die?" Firefly inquired, ignoring the snark.

All three of them paused as a police cruiser sailed by the opening to the alley they were in, watching it pass cautiously.

"If we're lucky," Crane went on, "all of them."

"I don't think you breakout kings just splitting into pairs is enough to keep you all safe," Ivy was the one to say what was beginning to become apparent to everyone else.

"I agree with Pam," Crane broke in. "It'd be much wiser if we fortified ourselves as a group. Gather the remaining addicts from Arkham and find a place secure enough to prevent attacks. It seems like they're finding us wherever we go."

"Maraquaquidich," Firefly muttered.

"If I were Edward, I'm sure I'd have a joke about a sneeze here," Crane pointed out.

Ivy, who had caught on quicker, straightened her spine. "The abandoned lighthouse at Maraquaquidich Bay. It's got a steep cliff on one side and an ideal patch of green grass all around the rest of it that I could fortify it with."

"How many does it sleep?" Crane inquired.

"What do you care how many it sleeps?"

"Well, I don't really. The last bedmate I had was Selina Kyle, which was more than fine, but if I have to share a cot with someone like Jervis…"

"Jervis isn't so bad. Could be worse." Ivy pointed out.

"He has night terrors." Firefly stated.

"Everyone on the cellblock has heard him wake up screaming." Crane added.

"One would think that'd be up your alley."

"Not when it's right in your ear as you sleep. The man is harmless enough, but his scream is loud and shrill like a woman's." Crane scowled at Ivy's own heavily furrowed brow. "What? It's not sexist, women have a higher pitch than men."

"I still don't much care for the way you said it." She replied.

"Well, I don't much care for the faint stench of fertilizer that clings to you, but you never hear me complain."

"I've never once used fertilizer on my plants!" Ivy protested. "That's just slanderous!"

Sighing, Firefly moved off from the two and their bitching, heading in the general direction of Jervis' swampy shack.

* * *

><p>Hugging his squeaky March Hare to his chest, Jervis gawped at the lighthouse, his hooked nose stuck high in the air.<p>

Ivy was already there, urging her babies to grow, creating not only a high wall of vines and plants, but a security fence for the lighthouse.

Despite the fact that it was unnecessary for him to loiter near her, Crane stood just behind Ivy, bitching about what she was planting and generally picking small fights with her.

Firefly wondered if picking fights was the Scarecrow's way of flirting and briefly considered doing Poison Ivy a favour and knocking the good Doctor Crane out for a few hours, but he quashed the urge, ducking into the towering building.

"Curvaceous," Jervis muttered eyeing the stairs that corkscrewed upwards, hugging the round walls. "Onwards and always."

The March Hare squeaked.

"We'll set down places for tea, for surely they'll want tea," Jervis exclaimed, running off to see what he could gather for cups and pots.

Lynns took to the stairs, moving upwards, heading for the upstairs area.

Beneath his heavy boots the aged wood groaned unable to handle being stepped on for the first time in years, but he ignored it, gloved hand securely on the railing as a precautionary measure.

At the top there was a wide open floor, before a straight set of stairs lead up to a small hatch which he presumed lead into the glassed in area with the light.

Kicking aside crap from squatting teenagers and transients, he surveyed the place.

It was a tinderbox, dry as a mummified moth in the desert and ready to combust.

Gripping his helmet, Lynns pulled it off.

The withdrawals had been few and far between, and with each episode they became weaker and less of a bother, but every now and then, like an aching tooth, the pain would flare and be gone in an instant. Like whatever they poisoned them with at Arkham was just trying to remind them that they had indeed been used as guinea pigs.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, as all four of them settled into the lighthouse, they held an impromptu meeting about their state.<p>

"So, what? You expect us to just sit around while Eddie may or may not solve this?" Ivy demanded.

Crane, who seemed to go out of his way to oppose her, sat with his arms crossed on a shaky, unreliable chair they had found somewhere in the place. "Ivy, what you want right now isn't to get to the bottom of this, it's blood. Plain and simple."

"Don't we all want a little blood, Jon?"

Sighing heavily, the Scarecrow touched a winter tree hand to his forehead. "What I'd like right now, is a warm meal and a soft bed. What we have, however, is Jervis and his old, rusty tin pail of leaf and twig tea. Edward will get this figured out and then we can make our move."

"Huh," Ivy huffed. "I always assumed you were your own criminal, now I see you're just Eddie's anorexic sidekick."

"Pamela, I swear I will take my scythe-"

"And what, Jonny? You can't hobble very far without help and I'm not scared of you at all."

Looking over in the direction of the Mad Hatter, Lynns found the meek fellow touching the tips of his pointer fingers together idly.

"I don't know why I let Ed drag me into this mess in the first place," Ivy went on.

"Could be the mild crush you harbour for him." Crane remarked.

"I harbour a crush for him? You're his little butt-boy half the time, always following him around like a homeless mutt looking for scraps!"

"Keep it up," Crane growled. "And I'll-"

As the two engaged in all out verbal battle, Firefly folded his arms and leaned back against the dark shadowy wall where he had taken up residence.

It was apparent to him that someone should be in charge. They needed structure while under siege, but Jervis was too out of his goddamned gourd and the pair of lovers wouldn't shut up long enough to rationalize.

Firefly wasn't the take-charge kind. He wasn't submissive in any manner, either, but he just didn't like being the one to lead.

Still, he felt someone should do something.

Calmly he removed an incendiary grenade from his belt and moved out of his shadows, heading for where the others congregated.

Grabbing hold of Crane first with a strong arm wrapped around his thin neck, he crammed a grenade into his mouth and gripped the pin tightly.

"Don't move." Firefly whispered. "Just stay silent. If you jerk, this pin'll drop right out of the grenade."

"What are you doing?" Ivy demanded.

Crane, wisely remained perfectly still.

"I want to say something and I'd prefer not to have to yell."

"I'm sure there's better ways to go about it."

"Mfmm mmft," Crane agreed.

"We need to organize better than a dusty craphole filled with whiny bitching." Firefly said. "The fact is, that while the Riddler may or may not be away solving our problems, we still have problems that won't wait for his return. My suggestion to you is to stop arguing and gel as a unit. Or I swear to God I'll kill you myself."

Ivy puffed out her chest and settled her hand on her hip firmly. "Obviously, but I can't get along with a man who makes it his duty to piss me off at every turn."

"Mfft mmhm mm," Crane replied.

Removing the grenade, Firefly fastened it back on his belt and released Crane.

"Of course, if we're picking a leader, I vote for myself since I'm the one with the most mature attitude towards this situation," Ivy added. "Everyone knows women make the better leaders since we don't let pissing contests get in our way."

"Oh, you can bite the boniest part of my ass, Pam." Crane remarked. "Everyone knows women make terrible soldiers, it's instinctive in them to nurture not destroy."

Hellfire in her eyes, Pam turned on the Scarecrow. "Oh, _you _can bite my well toned ass, Jonny! You're so sexist sometimes! If you ever thought of women with as equals you might not be so lonely and bitter."

"Go fuck yourself, Pammie." Crane snarled. "I'm not sexist, it's common knowledge that stretches all the way back to the stone age when women took care of the community while the men would go out and hunt and gather and protect the cave from attacks."

"The stone age? Jon, it's 2012, get with the times."

Sighing, Firefly glanced over at Jervis who was dunking the March Hare in the pail of tea, before turning his back on the fight. He really hated the human race.


	7. The Brute Man

**jacksparrowlovesme - I enjoy writing Firefly. But then again I enjoy writing all the villains. If you ask me writing Batman/Bruce Wayne is hard. Villains are easier because they have more personality. ^_^  
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**mahxie - Firefly so far is one of my favourite POV's yet. I think it's because he doesn't say much, but has a little more saner outlook on things than Jervis. It doesn't hurt that I kind of love him. I think he's rising in ranks as one of my favourite villains.  
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**The Fortune Teller - I agree. I enjoy Crane arguing with anyone TBH. He just makes bickering seem fun.  
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**Anton Phibes - HAHA! That would be hilarious! Hmm...  
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**(Mysterious) Guest - Aw, how kind of you to say. I get all 'butterflies in my stomach' whenever I post new chapters, so it's nice to hear how appreciated they are.  
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**Alex - Thanks for your review. I actually found Firefly hard to write, since I haven't read very many comics with him in, so I wasn't sure if I got his character down perfectly. It's good to know he's enjoyed by people like you. ^_^  
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**WorthlessSix - Wow, I've never had anyone in love with me in a review before. ^_^ May I say 'giggity'. (I keed, please don't get perved out).  
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**KrnYong - Yeah, not enough Firefly in fanfiction, is there? Must have more. Maybe when I finish this I can write one.  
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**Well, sorry all for the late update, I really did mean to update earlier but I dropped my old laptop from my loft bed and it went boom and I wept. Thankfully I save all my work on a jump drive. Sadly this chapter isn't my favourite, but it's...you know...there. So...*ahem*...  
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><p><strong>Chapter Seven: The Brute Man<strong>

****Two-Face****

Both of them could appreciate the moment.

On the one hand, the masked men coming at them from all sides were worthy foe's, the likes of which Harvey could appreciate with his refined, poetic outlook on things.

On the other, there was so many of them to gun down that it pleased that dark and dangerous side to no end. All the blood and moans of agony as their attackers lay dying brought a sick sense of amusement to them. They couldn't fill them with enough bullets to appease their dark desires, but it certainly helped.

At their side the others fought as well, down to the last bullet, some already resorting to hand held weapons and the likes to fend off the volley of masked assassins.

They couldn't say why the first one came to them.

But the Clock King wandered into their lair one night, sat down at their table and opened a book and began to read. He never left and was soon followed by Manbat and Maxie Zeus. Both of whom claimed criminals in Gotham were being hunted down and killed.

Two-Face was wont to laugh at their ridiculous notions at the time, but they soon found out first hand when news came from Black Mask that half his henchmen were taken out by masked assassins.

Now.

Now Two-Face was faced on both sides with the reality.

And they weren't pleased.

Removing a knife in the shape of a clock hand from his inner suit jacket pocket, the Clock King jabbed the weapon up under the ribs of an assassin just as they were about to pounce on Two-Face.

Fugate took a shuriken to his shoulder as a result.

"There's too many of the fiends, good mortal!" Maxie exclaimed, lobbing one of his lightening bolts at the men. He was running low and would soon be down to his last, but the man kept at it.

Harvey eyed the area, looking for an exit, while Two-Face eyed the area looking for a way to kill a shitload of the bastards quickly and efficiently, all the while unloading about thirty rounds into a single man.

They certainly enjoyed the fight and the smell of blood as it sprayed into the air.

Manbat swooped down, snatching a couple of the masked men in his claws, flying up high to drop them, bashing them on the concrete floor of the abandoned warehouse like a seagull smashing open clams.

"Suggestions?" The Clock King demanded. "Before our time is up."

Blasting a hole the size of a fist into the gut of an oncoming assailant, Two-Face scowled. Why did they have to be the ones to make the decisions?

And then, like the heated blessings of the Gods, fire rained down on the masked men, the heat driving the three men further back against the wall they had already been pinned tightly against.

Two-Face levelled their guns, but it was hard to aim as the fire that blinded them made everything beyond it a mess of black.

The scent of burning flesh filled the warehouse and it choked Harvey, but sent Two-Face's blood pumping.

There were screams and the crackling of flesh and intense heat that burned their own flesh uncomfortably, and then black smoke and finally silence.

The warehouse was eerily still and for a moment Two-Face wondered if they should even bother looking to see what fresh hell was upon them.

Cracking an eye, Harvey found Firefly standing behind a mass of charred bodies, his wings expanded, his hands holding his flamethrower calmly. From behind his strong form, a tiny fawn coloured head peeked and the Mad Hatter beamed at them, before emerging from the safety of Firefly's flame retardant body.

"You singed my best bowler," the Clock King remarked casually, holding his wounded shoulder like a gentleman wounded in a fencing competition. "However I applaud your timing."

Gripping their coin, Two-Face tossed it up, hoping its scarred countenance shone up them.

Holding out their hand, they smiled as the coin landed scarred side up in the very centre.

A smaller hand gripped theirs and tipped it down so that a pair of big eyes could peer at the results.

The Mad Hatter blinked up at him as Two-Face levelled their gun at the haberdasher.

Grabbing hold of the barrel, Firefly pushed the weapon up and moved in between Two-Face and the Mad Hatter.

"Follow us." He instructed grimly.

"We don't generally let little bugs issue orders to us." Two-Face snarled.

"Unless of course you can provide solid evidence as to why we should?" Harvey broke in calmly, pocketing their good hand.

"Because if you don't, you'll most assuredly meet your end." The Mad Hatter warbled. "When you reach the end, then all that's left is the end and the end can't go on any further."

"Wait…wha?" Two-Face sneered at the meek fellow. "He'd better start making sense or we'll let our gun sort out his tongue."

"Our kind are dying." Firefly stated.

Releasing his wounded shoulder to casually check his pocket watch with a bloodied hand, the Clock King sniffed. "Well, this has been…litigious. But I have neither the time nor the blood left in my veins to withstand it further."

"We'd fare better as a unit." Firefly went on.

The villains all turned their full attentions on him.

"We have a fortress, but it could do with a few more soldiers to defend it."

Two-Face frowned, but deep inside Harvey listened to reason.

"You're looking for cooperation from men and women who don't exactly play nice with the other children? Have you lost the last vestiges of your mind?" Harvey demanded.

"We have tea," the Mad Hatter offered.

All the men present blinked at the shortest man present.

"And a chair." He added.

Everyone decided to just ignore him in unison.

"Anyways," Firefly went on. "What we need is every last one of you at your very best."

"Who's in charge of this little army?" Maxie Zeus demanded. "Surely no mortal or demi-God could possibly think to rule the mighty Zeus."

There was a pause, before Firefly began, "Scarecrow."

"I know not this 'scarecrow' of which you speak." Maxie Zeus exclaimed.

Firefly shifted on his feet, before pleading gruffly. "Oh, come on."

The bearded man blinked evenly at Firefly, who relented with a deep sigh.

"The God of…Fear." He clarified.

"Phobos? He dares command the King of the Gods?!"

"Look, pal-"

"Why the mere thought sends the heavens trembling at my rage!"

Without a further word, Firefly turned sharply on his heel and marched off into the darkness of the surrounding warehouse.

The Mad Hatter blinked, squeezed his rabbit toy and hurried after him.

Quietly, holding his wounded shoulder, the Clock King followed.

Overhead Manbat screeched and with a flurry of his leathery wings, swooped and darted off as well.

* * *

><p>They were seated in the glass lookout, back against the giant light mechanism of the lighthouse later that night, studying the sea when the Scarecrow folded his long frame on a chair at his side quietly.<p>

"After the division the two parts of man, each desiring his other half, came together," the lanky villain quoted quietly.

Two-Face scowled deeply at the ocean. "You'd better pray that wasn't a come-on."

"In all my years as a psychologist I've never come across a case such as yours." Crane admitted. "You might say I'm fascinated by your duality. Who makes the decisions? Who's the stronger personality?"

"We didn't come here to be shrunk."

Eyeing them like a child full of wonder, Jonathan Crane moved in a little closer, studying them like any good doctor would. "You can't blame me. A man who loves classic cars can't pass an Invictus without wanting to look under the hood and a man who picks brains can't pass a Two-Face without wanting to study him a little."

"Study Jervis, he'd be a lot less inclined to shove a Glock down your throat and pull the trigger."

"Jervis? Jervis is easy, he's delusional, suffers obsessive compulsive disorder. Simple diagnosis. But you?" Scooting his chair closer, Crane beamed his cold, cruel grin. "You're a whole new level of twisted, aren't you?"

Two-Face wanted to just shoot the annoying brat, but deep down Harvey was wounded by his words and they were conflicted again.

"How do you think? I mean, who does the thinking?"

Removing their eyes from the moonlit waters, Two-Face studied the cracks in the wood at their feet.

"Hey, Jon?" Pamela Isley broke the moment, climbing the stairs into the glassed in area. "Kirk is trying to roost in the rafters, is that a good idea?"

"As long as he's not leaving little guano presents all over the place, why should you care?" The Scarecrow snarled.

"Well, the rafters are groaning and this whole place might collapse about our ears, but who cares, right?"

Sighing deeply, Jonathan Crane pushed to his feet. "And why is it my duty to remove the nocturnal rodent?" He snarled, limping off after Ivy.

Sighing, they looked out at the ocean one last time, before pushing to their feet as well and following the others inside.

Down in the dusty first floor area, Two-Face spied a sleek creature in black PVC and tilted their head.

"Well, look what cat dragged itself in." Crane murmured.

Catwoman tilted her head and peered out of her mask with gimlet eyes. "Jon, if you were any less pathetic looking, you'd be a hobo in a Normal Rockwell painting."

"Wow, someone just brushed up on their Americana classics," the Scarecrow retorted dryly. "I thought you went with our dear Eddiekins to the mystical Far East."

Dropping her shapely legs from where they rested on a chair opposite her, Catwoman purred deep in her throat. "Why on Earth would I go anywhere willingly with that gigantic elf?" She inquired.

"Oh, just thinking you might get to missing him," Crane replied.

Two-Face eyed the others as this conversation took place, everyone was milling about, close enough to overhear the two, but far enough away to look casual about eavesdropping.

"You should be glad I came around, Jon." Catwoman went on. "I hear you and yours have been getting creamed by a multitude of masked assailants."

"You came around to help or to hinder, Selina?" Crane demanded. "Because so far all you've done is take up space and breathe our air."

"Watch it," she suggested firmly. "Or I may just use you for a scratching post."

"Anytime, kitten."

"Is it me or has everyone been a little more…miserable lately?" The Clock King asked Ivy who was standing nearby.

Two-Face quirked their brow at this.

"It could be because none of us are really the 'play nice' types, Fugate." Ivy replied.

"Want me to stop them?" Firefly asked, coming to a neat stop right behind Ivy, towering over her by about a foot.

Ivy smiled softly. "I don't think your method of getting attention is warranted here and now."

"The offer stands," he replied, moving off again for his dark corner.

"Why don't we stop fighting and work on a counter-attack plan," Jervis chirped, suddenly lucid and making sense like a normal being.

There was a deep, black hole of silence that broke over the entirety of the criminals in the lighthouse as all eyes turned on the little, buck toothed fellow.

"Did someone say 'tea'?" He warbled shyly, suddenly mad as…well as a hatter again.

Two-Face smirked, drawing the good side of their mouth up devilishly.

"The little pipsqueak is right," the Clock King said. "We need to form some sort of order amongst thieves. I suggest we elect a leader and I nominate myself."

"Ha!" Maxie Zeus exclaimed. "If anyone is fit to lead you mortals and demi-gods around, it's me! I am – after all – a King and a God!"

"I suggest Jonny-boy." Catwoman purred.

The Scarecrow smirked darkly. "The woman has brains."

"That way when he screws things up we can lynch him." She went on.

"Harlot."

"Ass."

"I nominate Jon as well," Ivy broke in.

The Scarecrow turned suspicious eyes on her.

She shifted uncomfortably on her feet. "I hate him, but he's no good for much else with that broken leg of his. We may as well put him behind the lines."

"I'm half insulted and a little flattered," he replied.

"I won't stand behind the God of Fear!" Maxie exclaimed. "It's beneath mighty Zeus to follow orders!"

"I like the March Hare," the Mad Hatter pointed out. In his arms the squeak toy gave a broken wheeze. "But alas he votes for the Gryphon."

"That's three votes," Ivy said. "Who else for Jonny."

Grasping their coin, Two-Face gave it a flip. "We're voting for the scrawny little geek," they growled after reading the results.

"Four. Anyone else?"

"Why not? We're running short on time and I really could care less," the Clock King sighed.

"Five. Five wins it." Ivy said. "Don't let us down, Jon, or I'll kill you myself."

The Scarecrow frowned slightly. "You're trying to put fear into a fearless man, Pammie. Shut up and watch me work." Limping forward, the tall, gangly fellow addressed the group. "Alright, to begin with, let's get two pairs of eyes up in the light tower. Clock King, you and Maxie Zeus take the first watch. Manbat, I want you in the air in the general area. Next I want to put our most capable in charge of scouting. We work in pairs for safety until we figure out who we're up against. Firefly," he called out.

The tall, broad shouldered arsonist looked up from where it seemed he was napping on his feet in a dark corner.

"I want you on the streets tracking down the source of these suicidal assailants. Take Selina with you, report back every hour on the hour or we'll assume you're dead."

"With what?"

"Selina's got sticky fingers, I'm sure she can get us some cell phones."

Catwoman scoffed. "I can get us cell phones in thirty minutes."

"Good, take Lynns with you and bring us back a couple and get some ammunition and weapons while you're out. Pam," he turned to the green skinned woman, "I'm making you my second-in-command. You're in charge of micro managing."

The red headed smiled. "You have good taste."

"Two-Face, I'm putting you in charge of security, when the alarms are raised I want you leading the charge. Everyone listen to him if we go into battle. Jervis!" He paused.

The Mad Hatter seemed to be filling the March Hare with tea through a rip in the stuffed animal's back. It soaked through and trickled onto the floor, leaving a stinky, rotten leaf and twig tea puddle on the floor.

"Just…ah…don't get underfoot." Crane went on. "Everyone else comprehend their roles?"

Everyone nodded the affirmative and set out to do their assigned tasks, leaving Scarecrow to smirk in triumph and fold his arms. "Eddie's little butt-boy, eh Pammie?" He teased.

She shrugged. "I'm not impressed by any measure."


	8. The Rebel Set

**The Fortune Teller - I think the Scarecrow is very underestimated at times. I mean the guy is highly intelligent, yet sometimes in the comics he comes off as a bit of a buffoon. He'd make a good leader, I think. Also, you're very welcome for the chapter.  
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**jacksparrowlovesme - You know, I always wanted to ask how exactly you know that Jack Sparrow loves you...I mean has he made these declarations vocally or do you just have that vibe? Anyways, I'm just being a dork, enjoy this chapter, kid.  
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**Guest - Thanks for the review!  
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**KrnYong - Jon does make a good leader. At least with him leading, he won't be trying to pick people's brains.  
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**need4lov - I do too. If I wasn't so committed to Riddler/Catwoman my ship would probably lean down the Scarecrow/Catwoman path.  
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**Well, here's a little chapter. I'm going back to school soon so not sure how often I'll update then, but I'm going to try my damnedest to get more chapters put out. I'll never abandon a story, so don't worry too much about that.  
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><p><strong>Chapter Eight: The Rebel Set<strong>

****Selina****

They strolled through downtown Gotham, picking their way over rooftops, scurrying in the shadows of the alleys, keeping an ear to the ground cautiously, not knowing who the enemy was.

As they wandered down a particularly dark alley, steamed with the grime of the sewers, lit only by a distant blue backdoor light, she turned to study the man at her side.

Firefly was always a mystery to her. The man just seemed good at keeping to himself without drawing attention like most tall, dark, mysterious men did.

She knew very little about him.

"I don't usually work with other people," she admitted, swinging her whip casually as they walked.

The dark helmet of his turned her way slightly, catching the distant blue light as it rolled across the black glass. "Same." He growled, adding after a pause, "but given the circumstances…"

"Hm." She dragged her claws over the brick wall to her left, creating sparks that flickered in the night, dying as quickly as they were born. "Garfield," she mused out loud, pondering his first name. "Just like the cat."

"I hate lasagne." He snarled.

She smirked wickedly. "How do you feel about Monday's?"

"I'm not a fan."

They walked on.

"I think we should try Ozzie first." She said after a moment. "If anyone knows the score around Gotham, it's him."

"I agree."

"Good. Then you should also agree that making me the one in charge of this little pairing is the wisest choice." She stated.

"Fine."

This startled her. There weren't many in the Gotham rogue gallery who would just allow themselves to be bossed around.

"Really?" She asked.

"Look, I'm not a blind follower by any means, but we have a job to do and if you want to lead, then go ahead. I'll object when I see fit."

"Huh." She eyed him. "Are you sure you're a rogue?"

He scoffed. "Lady, I've been diagnosed as a pyromaniac, I don't set out to kill people. I don't thieve unnecessarily and I don't rape. I'm probably the most rational out of all of you."

They walked on, coming to the end of the alley and turning left down a better lit one, heading in the direction of the Iceberg Lounge.

"Why _do_ you love fire so much?" She asked.

He was silent beside her. Selina could almost see his muscles relax as he thought about fire.

"Fire is the alpha and the omega," he began softly, in his gruff, smoky voice. "The beginning and the end. From fire were born and to fire we will return. It purges and cleanses, it sears away old growth and lets new sprouts push themselves up from the scorched earth."

Falling into a comfortable silence, Selina found herself eyeing the man at her side a little more appreciatively.

There was something about a poet in warriors armour.

The way his muscles moved under the thick leather of his costume, the way his hips swaggered beneath the heavily laden grenade belt of his, it was all something that appealed to a wicked little kitty like her.

She purred. "Ever have sex in a darkened alley, Lynns?"

That helmet of his turned her way and the man paused in mid-step.

Selina smiled mischievously and tilted her chin down. "Just asking." She went on ahead, a little more swing in her hips than normal.

He caught up with her, his powerful legs taking long strides. "You're disloyal." He observed.

Selina eyed him. "To who?"

"Everyone knows you and Edward Nygma-"

"The Riddler?" She demanded. "Please. He's a hopeless geek. I just take pity on him sometimes."

"You're dishonest." He stated.

Feeling put in her place a little, she shrugged. "You like words that begin in 'dis' don't you, big fella?"

"Here's two more." He replied, "disapproving and disgusted."

She turned on him. "Don't you dare judge me!" Making a move for her whip, she found her wrist caught in a heavily gloved hand.

Firefly didn't hurt her, he just kept her controlled. "I can understand your flirtatious advances," he said, "you're a sexual being, driven by your hormones. What I can't figure out is why you feel the need to throw your pheromones at anything with a Y chromosome."

Pulling her arm out of his grip, she moved on.

"You know what I think?" He kept up with her.

"Great, you say nothing for days and when you finally open your trap you won't shut it again." She growled.

"I think deep down you know exactly what you do to men and I think you like controlling us that way."

"Yeah, I guess you have my number, Freud." She replied coolly.

Firefly was silent for a long, glorious time as they crossed a street into another alley.

"I like you Catwoman," he said finally. "You have a vulnerability masked by hard edges that makes you endearing."

She couldn't help the snorted of amusement that escaped her. "You really make it hard to hate you."

"I don't do it on purpose," he said.

They walked on.

"Can I tell you something?" She asked cautiously. "Between you and I?"

"I don't condone gossip, so consider what you say safe."

"I sometimes wish Eddie would get the better of Batman." She admitted. "Not in a final way, but…he tries so hard, I sometimes wish he could win, just once."

Lynns was silent for the longest time.

As they passed under streetlights, Selina took the time to study Gotham at its quietest. Perhaps it was the night or the fact that a lot of villains were in hiding, but it was almost deathly silent in the city. She liked it.

"I sometimes see the Riddler as that little boy in school trying so hard to get the better of the popular boy." Firefly said.

Selina chuckled darkly.

"So, Garfield," she began after another silent moment. "What were you like in school?"

He didn't say anything.

"Popular boy, hm?" She inquired. At his continued silence, she went on, "let me guess, went on to be the popular jock in high school?"

"I went the other way."

"Rebel, huh? Complete with leather jacket and Camaro?"

"Mustang, actually."

"I bet you had all the schoolgirls quaking in their Keds, hm?"

Firefly startled her by chuckling low in his chest.

From out the sky a dark figured dropped, startling both out of their conversation.

As Batman rose to his towering height from where he landed, he growled low, "there's nothing more suspicious then quiet in Gotham City."

Staying Firefly's hand as it reached for his flamethrower, Selina took a step between the men as a safety measure.

"What do you want, Bats?"

"Where is everyone?" He asked. "Whenever Gotham gets this quiet, I start worrying. You know they found the Cluemaster dead in his lair this morning?"

Selina smirked. "Well, that'll make the Riddler happy." She purred.

"A lot of villains are showing up dead around the city, so what gives? And why are you strolling in dark alleys with Firefly?"

"Ever hear of a date, Bats? It's something one does socially-"

"I'm serious." He cut her off, taking a cautious step towards her. "What's going on?"

"Man evolved," Firefly replied gruffly, "unfortunately we're still primitive beings huddled around our caves driven by our baser instincts."

"No offence, Batman, but this time you should really mind your own business." Selina pointed out. "Getting in the way will only get you killed."

"You know I can't do that. If something is out there killing people, even if they are criminals, I have to stop it."

"Ever the dark knight," she mocked, turning to Firefly, patting his chest warmly. "Come on, big fella, let's go back the way we came. This alley is too crowded."

"I just want to help," Batman insisted, following her.

Selina noticed that while Firefly was – thankfully – not one of the many villains who just killed first, he did keep a very close eye on the approaching do-gooder.

"People are dying!" Batman went on, making a move towards Firefly, who stepped back.

Pausing in her retreat, she moved back towards the towering hero, wrapping a hand around his belt and tugging him close, hoping to put out a fire before the sparks jumped.

"And what are you going to do to these men when you've finished helping them? Send them right back to Arkham? I hear the food isn't fit for shit." She whispered to him.

Behind her Firefly gripped one of his incendiary grenades and lobbed it quietly behind the masked crusader for distraction fire.

It worked, as the grenade went off, blowing a hole into the side of a building and Batman spun around, Selina took hold of Firefly's hand and yanked him off into the night, fleeing Batman in the confusion and the smoke.

* * *

><p>"Yeah, we met up with Batman," she purred to Jon over the phone. "Firefly distracted him and we high-tailed it."<p>

"Just what we need, him poking his pointy nose into this." Crane snarled. "Okay, where are you now?"

"I told Lynns that we couldn't just stroll into the Iceberg in our costumes, so we made a pit-stop at a nice little boutique for some street clothes. We're at my place now to store our stuff."

"I'm glad you can shop on my time," Crane replied dryly. "Find a nice little cocktail dress?"

"Hm, a little black one. I'll give you a private showing later." Selina shot back with a wicked little smirk playing at the corner of her mouth. "We won't be long, Jon. Calm down." She added just before hanging up on the Scarecrow.

Firefly emerged from her bathroom wearing something dressy enough to get into the Iceberg, but just on the casual side of fancy.

It was then that Selina realized she had never seen his face before and took a moment to familiarize herself with it.

He was older than the other rogues, not Ozzie old, but possibly out of his thirties. As far as faces went his was a little disappointing. She had hoped a man like Firefly would be stunningly good looking, but he was rather on the boyish side of plain. A firm, crisp jaw line, yes, but it was delicately boned. His nose, his mouth, his eyes, they were all pretty typical, run-of-the-mill features.

The only reason she assumed he was over forty was the grey streak in his dark hair, something that could have very well been from a scar for all she knew, but she was just going on it for age because he was one of those otherwise youthful looking sorts who seemed ageless.

"Anything interesting happening on Crane's end?" He asked her, carefully collecting his costume and flamethrower.

"Ivy was fighting with him when I called, so nothing out of the ordinary." She replied.

"I'm not really comfortable leaving my weapons behind," he admitted.

"Well, walking into the Iceberg with a flamethrower is sure to get you nabbed at the door. Don't worry, it's not far from here."

"If you say so," he replied, motioning her towards the door.

* * *

><p>Selina strolled towards the Iceberg Lounge bouncer, cherry red lips pulled up into a dark smirk. "Hey, Carl." She purred.<p>

The burly man undid the velvet rope for her. "Miss Kyle, you look like you mean business tonight."

"I do." She turned once on the other side of the rope. "The grumpy looking guy is with me."

Carl nodded to Firefly who passed through the barrier quietly.

The two of them wandered into the lounge, Selina weaving her arm through Firefly's, pressing herself against him to avoid the crowds.

"So, what? You just walk up the stairs to his office?" Lynns asked.

She smiled up at him. "Of course. Don't you?"

"The Penguin and I never really did business together."

Touching a hand to his chest, Selina idly rubbed it. "You're kind of anti-social around Gotham's underworld, aren't you?"

"Not at all, I always attend the Criminal Camp Getaway Weekend, you just never see me because I'm usually the one hanging around the bonfire."

"Aw, you made a joke. That's adorable."

They marched up the stairs, passed the bouncer there who also seemed to know Selina well and stopped at Ozzie's door.

"Knock, knock, Ozzie," she greeted, pushing open the door.

The Penguin stood before his broad window, overlooking the twinkling lights of Gotham City. He glanced over his shoulder at her and puffed on his cigarette.

"Well now, if it isn't my favourite feline." He turned to face them completely. "Qua, may as well grab a seat, then."

As she moved to take a chair, she was startled when Firefly pulled one out for her. Eyeing the chair he chose for her, then the man, she stubbornly chose the other chair, perching on it neatly.

Beside her Firefly took the chair he had pulled out, clearing his throat softly.

"Ozzie, you know Garfield, I'm sure."

The Penguin sat behind his desk, eyeing the man with her. "I've never had the pleasure to meet you face to face, Mr. Lynns. But may I say how much I admire your work."

"May I say how much I admire your monocle?" Firefly shot back.

Oswald tilted his head, pulling his monocle down from his eye and studying it. "Qua," he muttered thoughtfully, removing the clip that held it to his lapel by a thin chain, "it's not my favourite." He tossed it in Firefly's direction and the arsonist caught it fluidly with one hand, snapping it out of the air. "Keep it, I have others."

Firefly study the round piece of glass and metal, before tucking it between his cheek and eyebrow experimentally.

"What brings you here, Selina darling?"

"I wish I could say I came to take advantage of your ladies' night specials, unfortunately-"

"Unfortunately Rome burns," Ozzie broke in quickly, waving his hand. "Yes, yes. I know what brings you here, now. Do I know what's going on? Only a little bit. Do I know who's involved? Not at all. But," he paused with a twisted grin, "but I might know a few things about a few things."

"Such as?"

Blowing out a stream of smoke, Oswald grinned. "In my business I've come to make all the right friends and what I do know is that all my friends are accounted for."

For a moment Selina had to mull over the point he was getting at, before she turned to see if Lynns was on the same page as her.

He raised his eyebrows in question at her look, monocle falling to his chest, dangling by the thin chain that held it pinned to his jacket.

"So what you're saying is that it's no one you know?"

Ozzie shifted in his chair as though disgusted by her sluggish speed at catching on. "What I'm saying, pussycat, is that it's no one anyone knows."

"So Eddie's wasting his time in overseas?"

"Well, maybe he'll at least bring you back something silk." Ozzie replied.

Sighing heavily, with more questions than answers, Selina pushed to her feet. "Well, thanks anyway, Ozzie."

The Penguin stood as well. "Be careful, Lina." He warned. "You're involved in something that doesn't concern you, but might get you killed."

"You would think by now that you'd know that I can take care of myself." She said.

"We are none of us Gods, pussycat." He stated.

She nodded and walked off, Lynns trailing behind.

Outside Ozzie's office, down in the lounge, Selina pressed a hand against Lynns chest, pushing him into a quiet, dark corner.

"What do you figure? Newbie?"

He tilted his head. "Possibly. Or someone pretending to be someone new."

She nodded. "Yeah, let's keep thinking along those lines. Newbie's don't usually have that sort of finesse yet."


	9. Jungle Goddess

**Spirit of Pandora - Thanks. Those are the types of reviews I like getting. Whether my meetings or interactions are believable. Plus, I agree Firefly doesn't get enough face time in anything.  
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**antihero276 - I heartily agree. I love that about the Batman world, when all the villains and even heroes interact. It makes it seem more like a community then just random characters and plots. I was actually going to make him the video game Firefly, but decided last minute to make him the comic book version. Not sure why...maybe for old time's sake. ^_^  
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**BlondieBlue - I figure Joker and Harley get enough face time in the comics, movies and such, it's time for the other villains now. Though I may write in some Joker and Harley later on in this story. But thanks for the really kind review. It's muchly appreciated.  
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**task - Understandably. Some people write Ivy as being very plant-like (using sunlight and water and soil for nutrients etc.) I just decided to try another way for her. But there you have it. Thanks a lot for the review. ^_^  
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**jacksparrowlovesme - Catwoman is hard to write sometimes. But there's so many versions of her that it's kind of nice to be able to pick and choose.  
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**KrnYong - I always got the feeling from comic book Firefly that he's one of those tough guys on the outside, but has a secret goofiness to him. Like almost boyish sometimes. Just my feeling from reading the comics.  
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* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine: Jungle Goddess<strong>

****Ivy****

There was something bothering him.

It didn't take a genius to figure out it was the fact that they were being hunted, but there was something else, something she wasn't sure anyone noticed but her.

Lounging on the stairs up to the light, she struck a provocative pose, knowing full well what she was doing to the men who passed her on their patrols.

Moving from the door where he peered out the narrow slat, back to the table where they had set up some form of command centre, Crane kept pacing idly, limping on his broken leg.

"Why don't you sit down, Jon?" She cooed.

"Why don't you do something?" He snarled back.

"I am doing something," she replied calmly.

He scoffed. "Yeah, we all know what you're doing."

She arched her back, feigning a stretch. "Enlighten me." The lazy stretch was cut short by a piece of broken chair leg that landed on her bare stomach. Ivy sat up and glared at Crane who only gave her a calm warning look in return. "So, what's your problem?" She demanded rising to her feet with the help of a few friendly vines pressing against her back.

He watched her approach, scratching an eyebrow with his thumb.

Ivy hopped onto the wobbly table, crossing her legs, waiting for a response.

"Why must everything you do be so provocative?" He demanded.

She preened. "I'm just sitting here."

"No," he argued taking a seat in the lone chair. "This is just sitting. You're always posing like a centerfold."

"I'm sitting like a lady."

"You're sitting like a whore!" He snapped.

Things never usually bothered Ivy, but the venom in his tone actually hurt her a little. Of course, she retaliated to his verbal abuse by shrugging.

Crane sighed heavily.

"Did that make you happy, Jon?" She inquired.

"No," he admitted sullenly after a moment.

"What's really eating at you?" She demanded.

He rose to his feet, brow furrowed deeply. "Nothing."

Following him to the door, she waited behind his back as he peered out at the night.

"Getting cabin fever?" She pressed.

He peered over his shoulder at her, before turning. "I'm not really a 'share my feelings' type, so just drop it."

"Oh, you can analyze everyone else, but Jonny's psyche is off limits."

"Precisely."

Ivy smirked. "How fun. Let me try to play psychiatrist."

"Pamela, I have killed before. Just a warning." He growled, moving back across the room.

She followed him. "Only child? Hated your mother, didn't know your father. Am I close?" She asked.

"Did you really dance with the Riddler under the full moon?" He shot back at her.

"Sure did, he enjoyed every minute. Hetero or homo?" She went on with her line of questioning, not at all falling for his razzle-dazzle tactics.

Stepping in close to her, Crane narrowed his eyes. "Did I ever tell you about the time Edward and I went to Australia?"

"Bi-curious then." She assumed.

"You might want to check under your feet, Pam, because I think you're standing on very thin ice." He snarled.

She smirked wider. "Come on, Jonny-boy, it's a simple question. Gay or straight?"

"Asexual is also an option." He pointed out.

"So is pansexual, let's not get off topic," she stated grabbing his hand and placing it on her breast.

Crane's cold gaze dropped from her face to his hand on her chest, but didn't remove it.

"That doing anything for you, Jon?"

"It's giving me a good clue as to your cup size." He muttered.

Tsking, she shoved his hand off her. "Well, if you don't admit it, I'm going to have to assume you're homosexual."

"So?"

"Most straight men would be insulted to have their sexuality questioned like that." She stated.

"I'm not 'most straight men', Pam."

"Ah-ha!" She poked him with her finger.

"Oh, wow, you sure tricked me, Eddie." He remarked dryly. "But in all, I'd have failed you as a student if you were in my psych class."

"Oh no, Professor, that'll really bring my imaginary GPA down." She replied.

Crane's mouth twitched ever so in the corner. "Fine, Pamela, I'll give you one question and one honest answer."

"Yay me," she replied coolly.

"Or none, as you wish."

"When was the last time you had sex?"

He blinked and began with barely any thought. "One year, four months, fourteen days and a handful of hours."

"Yikes. That explains why you're so," she sucked air in through her teeth and brought her arms up tightly to her chest, "uptight."

He quirked a brow at her, but said nothing.

Taking a step in close, she purred, "you know, it'd be lowering my standards, but for the good of all of us—"

"No," he broke in curtly.

"Really? Because I don't mind taking one for the—"

"No."

Ivy shrugged and fixed her hair. "Well, the offer stands if you ever decide to unclench."

They broke apart and headed for separate sides of the room, both pausing briefly to peer back at the other.

Crane scoffed and shook his head. "No."

Returning to the stairs, Ivy lay back on them, arching her back enticingly and smiling to herself. Closing her eyes like a content cat, she practically purred.

Her moment of silent enjoyment was interrupted by the walkie on the unsteady table crackling.

"Crane?" The Clock King's voice warbled over the little black device. "We have company coming in from the sea."

Perking up, the Scarecrow grabbed hold of his scythe and hobbled up the stairs unsteadily, kicking Ivy in the hip on his way past.

Whether it was on purpose or by accident, she ignored it following him curiously, pushing him to get him to go faster.

At the top, they plastered themselves against the glass beside the Clock King and the Mad Hatter, eyeing the faint lights of a speedboat as it drew near the rocky shoals below the lighthouse.

"That's a Bat-boat." Ivy muttered.

Crane scowled. "Looks like only one person in it."

Beside them Two-Face cocked his weapon, it resounded like doom in the silence of the lighthouse.

Without even tearing his eyes off the incoming boat, Crane reached across Ivy to gently force the weapon in Harvey's hand down towards the floor.

"What's Batman doing coming here alone? How'd he find us?" Ivy snarled.

Narrowing his eyes at the darkness and the distance, Crane growled, "that's not the Bat. His breasts are big, but they don't stretch the bat logo that badly around the sides. That's a woman."

Ivy angled her head sharply to glare at Crane.

"I'm a straight male, I notice these things," he replied simply with a shrug, turning awkwardly on his feet and limping off. "Everyone remain here and stay calm."

"Where are going?" Ivy demanded catching up with him on the stairs. He was quicker going down then up.

"To see what they want."

"Alone?"

"Alone." He paused. "I need you to stay here and keep them from getting trigger happy. At least until I figure out what's going on. Understand?"

She almost wanted to argue just for the sake of being non-compliant, but she took the high road and nodded. "Sure."

Ivy followed Crane as far down as the bottom of the stairs, before standing her ground, watching as he limped off towards the door.

Frowning, Ivy found she disliked the idea of Crane going out without backup and called out to him, "Jon!"

He stopped at the door.

"I'll give you some ground coverage with my babies." She stated.

He narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because if something happens to you I don't want to have to listen to these jackasses bitch and moan over who gets to be in charge," she lied calmly.

Turning, he pursed his thin lips and tilted his head curiously.

"Why?" He repeated himself in a hard tone that reminded her of her old high school biology teacher. It was a tone that spoke of absolutely no tolerance for lies and bullshit.

Instead of answering him, she did what she used to do in high school, flipped her long red hair over her shoulder and flounced off quietly, nose slightly higher in the air.

* * *

><p><strong>**Crane**<strong>

Halfway down the slippery, rocky steps cut into the cliff, Crane decided going to meet with a Bat by the Atlantic with a broken leg was perhaps his worst idea ever. And that included the time he decided to weave nursery rhymes into his act.

Gripping his scythe tightly, he decided it was time to update his mask as well as he couldn't see a goddamned thing in the dark with the burlap monstrosity on his head.

He'd most likely slip, break his other leg, then bounce down the steps and break his neck at the bottom.

_Perfect way to end a clumsy, stumbling career of crime, Jonathan._

About halfway down, he found a dark suited member of the bat family bouncing her way up. She seemed a little surprised to actually see him and held her hands up immediately showing good will.

"I come in peace," she chirped.

"Batgirl," he purred suspiciously, placing his scythe between them threateningly. "What do you want? And more importantly how'd you find us?"

"Us?" She asked, blue eyes widening beneath her mask, peering around the rocky wall that surrounding them as they stood on the steps in the cliff. "Look, Batman just sent us out looking for any villain, seems everyone is in hiding. I was only going on a hunch that someone'd be here."

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Crane spun the girl around and began escorting her back down the steps. "There's six or more of us up there with weapons at the ready, my child. You best get back on your little boat and sail away while I'm in the kindly mood."

Pushing him away, Batgirl stubbornly stopped again. "Hang on just a minute, Doctor Grabby, that's not all. What's going on? Villains are being killed in bloody ways, no one is saying anything about it. Everyone's in hiding. We just want to help."

Crane scowled under his mask. "You can help by keeping your pointy little bat noses out of our business. The last thing we need is pity from your nocturnal winged rat family."

Putting her hands on her hips, Batgirl's little pink mouth drew into a tight line. "We can help you, Professor Crane. All you need to do is let us in on what's going on."

Pushing his mask up in frustration, Crane glowered at her. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way, child."

She crossed her arms.

"I'm still a very dangerous man, despite the fact that Jervis decorated my cast earlier this evening while I dozed." He replied.

Batgirl remained silent and still, eyes drifting down to peer at his colourful cast.

"Don't," he warned.

Her eyes snapped back to his mask.

"How about we come to a compromise?" She asked. "You let me help you and I promise not to fight you."

"If I were a jovial fat man in a fur trimmed suit I'd be 'ho ho ho-ing' right now." He replied sharply. "Get off my cliff."

"We can all get along, you know." She argued. "If only to help better everyone's lives."

"And then we can pop popcorn, braid each others hair and make friendship bracelets when this is all over, right?" He mimicked her own chirpy tone with a rather lazy version of his own. "Facts, child, facts are that you'll arrest the lot of us after you 'save' us. And I don't feel like going back to Arkham anytime soon."

She jerked her chin at him. "Fine…I just wonder what sort of mess this'll turn out to be when I get back to Batman and Robin and let them know about this place…?"

"Hard way it is…"

Instead of preparing to fight him, Batgirl stuck her arms out. "Take me prisoner. You take me prisoner, I get inside to help you and Batman and Robin never have to know about this mess you're in."

Crane sneered. "What?"

"Take me prisoner, Professor Crane. Tie me up."

"Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be? Just because I didn't attack on sight, doesn't mean my colleagues won't. They're killers after all. Every one of them."

"I know. But we have no choice. I have to report this to Batman and I'm guessing you have a pretty sweet set up here and you wouldn't want to have to leave. The only alternative is for you to kill me and let's face it, I've beaten you before, Professor Crane, I can beat you again. And I don't want to beat a man with a broken leg. So, therefore, tie me up."

"Why can't you just go and not report this to the Bat?" He demanded.

"That's not how my brain is wired, Professor. You know I can't lie to him."

Crane pondered this. He didn't want to have to fight her either, not with a bad leg…but he also didn't want to have to deal with her as a prisoner. Worrying whether Batman or his little bird brained buddy would crash their hideout looking for the little runt.

"Fine," he concluded. "I'll just kill you th-"

A small fist came out of nowhere and punched him right in the nose, sending the Scarecrow flying back against the rock behind him.

"Thank you," he muttered clutching his nose.

She bared her bottom teeth. "Sorry, it's a knee jerk reaction to a death threat. Are you okay?"

Pulling his hand away to study the blood on it, he scowled. "Aside from having pieces of my nasal ridge shoved into my brain, I think I'll live. Who knows it may have even given me the ability to smell colours which might improve life significantly."

"How about you don't threaten to kill me and I won't break anymore bones?" She asked.

Sighing heavily, he held his bleeding nose and pondered the situation. The little brat was right, if he let her leave she'd tattle to the Bat and he'd come crashing in with good intentions and all the villains would scatter to the four corners of Gotham to be killed, but if he took her prisoner they might come after him anyways…he couldn't fight her with a broken leg and she'd have him kicked down the steps before he could even raise his arm to give the signal to shoot. Besides, he was fairly certain they were out of the line of shot anyways.

"This really puts a hitch in my already abysmal week," he growled, reaching up to remove his noose to use for rope.

* * *

><p><strong>**Ivy**<strong>

As Crane entered with a captive bat, Ivy sneered.

"I was hopping you'd just kill it, Jon." She purred.

He shoved Batgirl at her. "Well, I didn't. Do you mind?"

Ivy glowered at the younger woman. "Not at all."

"Not too tight, I'd like her alive for a bit."

As Ivy's vines wrapped around Batgirl, she sighed. "If you insist." Eyeing Crane who was gently tending to his battered nose, she smirked. "The little girl clocked you good, Professor."

He scowled, ignoring her.

"So, what's going on around here?" Batgirl chirped brightly.

Ivy commanded her vines to wrap around the young one's mouth and smiled coldly, still eyeing Crane who had finally stopped fiddling with his nose.

"How many times have you taken this one hostage, Jon?" Ivy purred, perching on the table near his hip.

He scowled at the walkie. "At least a good dozen."

"I think she enjoys it," Ivy pointed out, "the little viper."

"Let the others know she's here and not to be harmed. I'm formulating a plan." He said.

"What kind of plan?"

"Don't concern yourself with it, just go and do as I ask."

Taking exception to his commanding tone, Ivy crossed her legs and leaned back on the table. "I'm not your servant, Jonny."

"Pam, please?" He asked.

She studied him quietly. The Scarecrow seemed far too tense, even more so with that young thing dangling in the middle of the room.

"Why don't we just kill her, Jon?" She suggested. "We don't need this hassle hanging over our heads now."

Crane gathered himself by inhaling and straightening his spine so that he stood at his towering six-four height. "A word?" He tilted his head in the direction of the corner furthest from Batgirl.

Slowly she dropped her feet to the floor and followed him.

In the corner he turned, brushing a hand through his hair. "Look, the Bat is curious about what's going on. It's inevitable that he'll stick his goddamned nose in our business. I was hoping with Batgirl we could use her as a clear threat for him to back off."

"Aren't you worried he'll come here looking for her?"

"Of course I'm worried, Pam!" He snarled. "I'm not really interested in being a full time leader. I hate people and I'm not really fond of worrying over their lives, I'd rather just pin them in a shadowbox and study them from the other side of the glass. It's much easier that way. But for now," he paused and shifted on his feet. "For now let's just get through this. Okay? Can you give me a little back up?"

She angled her head. Was that what had been eating him? Socializing? Ivy scoffed in amusement and slapped his gently on the cheek. "All you have to do is ask nicely, Jon."

He gave her a sharp warning look. "Don't tempt me, Pamela. I sharpened my scythe this morning, so _do not_ tempt me."

Smirking, Ivy leaned in and pressed a kiss to Crane's cheek. "Cool down, Professor. I'll play messenger for you."

She was a little insulted and mildly entertained when he used the sleeve of his costume covering the back of his hand to pointedly brush off her kiss and she actually chuckled at him as she turned and walked off.

"You could use a shave, Jon." She called out over her shoulder.


	10. Daddy-O

**JannaKalderash**** - Yes, school has slowed my uploads down a bit, but I'm not dead and this story will never die! Jon is uptight, but I love him because of it. Someone has to be the straight man.****  
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**Spirit of Pandora - I kind of love their interactions too. They make for a fun scene.  
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**NoSpillBlood - Tsk, always with the ego stroking. ...I didn't say stop. ^_^  
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**KrnYong - Couldn't have said it better myself. Pam loves toying with men, hence why she's always posing in a sexually suggestive manner. I think the mere fact that Crane doesn't buy her crap makes her think of him as a challenge.  
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**I'm sorry for the super later upload, kids. School has been bogging me down with homework and such, but remember I promised this story will never die and it never will! The quality may suffer a little due to me having no time to really edit, but just ignore those little mistakes. ^_^  
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><p><strong>Chapter Ten: Daddy-O<strong>

****Selina****

"Okay, so what about Crane?" She asked.

They were still pounding the pavement, searching for any clue as to who was attacking criminals, but nothing was turning up so they had taken to passing the time idly with verbal games.

"Easy," Firefly replied in his quiet way. "Conrad Veidt."

"Ooh, I see it. Good one. My turn. Um…Jervis."

"Charlie Chaplin."

Selina chuckled, but it turned into a dying warble at the sight of a few shadows collecting at the neck of the alley they were wandering down. She stopped in mid step, arm out to stop Firefly as well.

He eyed the shadows that were moving about, milling around the space between two brick walls, before angling his head to study the path they had come from.

Selina did as well, finding more shadowy figures there behind them.

"What do you figure?" She asked him.

Firefly quietly, calmly reached for his flamethrower. "Mort."

She smirked and fingered her whip handle. "Tonight's as good a night to die as any."

Pressing her back to his, the two watched as the shadows enclosed in around them from all sides, dropping into the alley from the rooftops and fire escapes like liquid night.

"I hear you're looking for me," a voice purred. It sounded like it was coming from all around them.

Selina's eyes darted from shadowy figure to the next.

One stepped out from among the sea of black and she tensed.

A feminine form slowed her approach to them. "You found me. Now what?" She asked.

Catwoman tilted her head at the figure. "Who the hell are you?"

"Does it matter?"

"If we're going to die here, why should you care if I know your identity or not?" Selina demanded.

"I'm not going to kill you," the woman replied. "I have no interest in you whatsoever. My interest is in that lumbering firebug at your side."

Insulted to be so casually ignored, Selina reached out a clawed arm as though protecting Firefly from the woman.

"Well, now that's just rude. Don't I matter at all?" Selina asked.

"Hardly," the other woman replied coolly, raising a hand.

Several sharp blades were produced from the darkness around them, pointing at Firefly mostly.

"Your move, big fella," Selina whispered to Firefly. "If you have some fireworks to finish things off, now would be the best time to light them."

As quickly as the blades were produced, the darkness around them dissipated and Selina was left in the middle of an empty alley with Firefly.

She looked all around at the night, finding nothing, not a trace of dark, shadowy figures.

"The hell?" Firefly muttered.

"I think it's time to call it a night," she replied softly, eyes still searching for a threat.

"I think it's time you start talking," a voice growled from behind them.

Spinning around, she found Batman standing tall behind them.

Again she put herself between him and Firefly to prevent a fight. "Are you following us, Bats?"

"I'm looking out for the citizens of Gotham." He replied simply.

"Then go and do that," she stated, pushing Firefly off in front of her, still trying to prevent hell from breaking loose. "Leave those of us who can handle things alone."

With sharp, hawk-like blue-grey eyes on Firefly, Batman approached warily. "Are you so capable of handling things, Catwoman?" He asked. "The last time I came across one of you they were scooping him into a body bag."

"Cluemaster?"

"Calendar Man."

Behind her, Selina heard Firefly shifting on his feet and tensed.

Nothing happened so she went on.

"How can I convince you that trying to intervene on our behalf would hinder more than help, Bats?" She asked.

He stared at her evenly, before pulling out a bat-grappling hook and firing it off into the night.

Selina scowled as the dark knight disappeared into the darkness and placed her hands on her hips.

"Want me to kill him?" Firefly asked.

"You mean you haven't been trying that tactic all these years you've been Firefly, Lynns?" She demanded.

"That's what I've been doing wrong," he murmured thoughtfully.

"The offer's sweet, honey. But let's just keep our noses turned towards figuring out who the hell just ambushed us and getting the hell out of Dodge."

* * *

><p>"We'll deal with her after we deal with whoever is bumping off criminals, Harvey!"<p>

Selina and Lynns stepped into a fracas of the torch and pitchfork variety as they returned to the lighthouse later that night.

They had gone back because the skies had decided to open up and dump rain on them in copious, monsoon amounts and she was not a kitty who liked to get wet.

They had returned to find Crane standing between a vined up Batgirl and a pissed off mob of Gotham's most infamous, his only ally it seemed was Ivy who didn't even seem that supportive either.

Moving to the back of the mob, shaking the water off herself, Selina pushed up onto her tiptoes to eye Crane, who had his scythe trained on Two-Face.

"Can we all just agree that we'll worry about offing her later? There are more important threats to our lives at the moment then Batman and his silly little family of leather-bound freaks!" Crane growled.

Selina wasn't sure she had ever heard Crane raise his voice like that. It almost put a little fear into her. More so than any of the little tricks he had ever pulled out of his sleeve.

Beside her Lynns was standing straight, no effort on his part to have to peer over heads and she was just a little jealous of his height at the moment, as after a long night her feet hurt too badly to stand on tiptoe long enough to watch the spectacle.

Two-Face took a step closer to Crane and the Scarecrow slammed the handle of his scythe on the floor, the resounding crack sent a few of the villains back, but not the one threatening him. Harvey looked steady as a stone.

"Get out of our way, Crane," he growled. "Or we'll shoot through you to get at her."

"Harvey, my loyalty to you stands at zero right now, don't tempt me."

"Why didn't you kill her at the dock?" The Clock King inquired. "Would have saved us all some time."

"Shut up, Fugate." Crane snapped.

Tsking, Fugate adjusted his tie and took a step back.

Sighing, Selina rolled her head about on her neck to work out a kink and moved around the mob to get between Crane's scythe and Two-Face's gun.

"Jesus, boys, put away the toys and cool your jets." Leaning back against Crane's chest, Selina wound her arms around his neck and arched her back to get the men's attention. When she was certain she had it, she quirked a brow and tilted her head back to peer up at Crane who was not amused by her invasion of his personal space. "Rough night, Jonny?"

He brought his scythe up under her chin and frowned. "You're getting me all wet."

"Aw, it's just your body's way of telling you that it enjoys my close presence," she purred.

"Get off me."

Letting him go, she slipped away and pressing a hand to Two-Face's chest, pushed him back a little.

"Give me some room to breathe, Harv." Turning on everyone, she placed a hand on her hip. "So, what's the problem, boys?"

"Our mighty God of Fear," Maxie Zeus said, folding his arms and striking a God-like pose.

"Jonny is always a problem," she growled. "Give me something new to worry about or get back to work."

"Batman," the Clock King said.

Selina scoffed. "At the worst Batman will arrest you boys, I think whoever is tracking you down and _killing_ you is a little more of a threat at the moment, don't you?"

The mob was silent.

"You boys voted for Jonny to be your leader, so let him lead," she finished, wandering off to find a place to nap.

She was halfway across the floor when the door to the lighthouse slammed open and a figure stepped in from the rain, dripping water everywhere.

Everyone jumped, expecting death flying at them in the form of shuriken and black clad ninja types, instead the figure sneezed and tossed aside a soaked green bowler.

"You reprobates are nearly impossible to find," the Riddler greeted with a smile that shone in the near darkness.

"Edward," Crane greeted, his scythe falling to hang limply in his hand at his side. Turning a wicked look on the mob of villains behind him, Crane snarled, "see how easy it is for someone to penetrate our defenses while you act like witless animals?"

"Now might be a good time to get back to your posts," Ivy suggested.

After a silent stare down deciding who would go and miss the reunion with the Riddler, Maxie Zeus and Two-Face slunk off, up the stairs, eyeing Edward the entire time.

Selina leaned back against a dark wall and watched the meeting as the Riddler, suit plastered to his body, stepped into the middle of the lighthouse in shoes that squished like he had waded through a lake.

"Good night to test scuba gear," he pointed out to Crane.

As Eddie drew closer to the flickering fire of the burning barrel Firefly had set ablaze to give them light, Selina noticed that his face looked like it was targeted by a boot or two. He looked disheveled and battered, but still had that refreshing, somewhat comforting appeal to his face.

Eddie always made her feel less on edge than the others, Selina wasn't sure just what it was about him that did that.

"Did the plane have to use your face as landing gear, Edward?" Crane inquired in his venomous tone.

The Riddler chuckled. "Looks that way, doesn't it? Never falsely accuse Ra's al Ghul of anything."

"I think it's an improvement to your face, Ed." Ivy purred.

Selina wasn't sure why she didn't bother approaching Eddie, she just kept herself quietly in the shadows and watched. Perhaps she was too tired from a long night to deal with the Riddler at the moment. She was probably going to run with that excuse.

A form in the darkness shifted beside her and she glanced at it in mild surprise.

Firefly stood there, watching with her as Edward and Crane reunited professionally.

She leveled her chin stubbornly and continued to watch.

"So, I take it your trip was a waste of time?" Crane demanded.

Eddie tilted his head. "Not entirely, I drank some Nepalese tea and watched an orangutan boxing match."

"Well, while you were…what?"

Waving his hand, Eddie shrugged. "It doesn't matter. I've been thinking this entire situation over and I've come to a conclusion in regards to our continued survival."

"Which is?"

At this point in the conversation the Riddler took notice of Batgirl and pointed wordlessly at her.

It was Crane's turn to wave off the subject. "It doesn't matter. What makes you think you have a wonderful plan? So far holing up here has proven safe and successful."

Grinning broadly, Eddie removed his wet suit jacket and dropped it on the table with a 'slupk'. "My plan will work, because I'm a genius and I thought it up. Your plan has so many holes in it they could use it to sieve flour."

Crane bristled. "I was kind of flying by the seat of my pants when I came up with it. If I had an entire, luxurious plane ride to Asia to think of a better plan I would have."

"Well, you didn't and I did. So, let's gather the troops and get the hell out of this dusty claptrap."

"I wish you would shut your dusty claptrap and listen to reason," Crane snarled. "They stay here. Here is working."

"Here is working for two or three days tops, but then this dusty claptrap will become a dusty deathtrap." Edward argued.

Jonathan Crane was still, eyes unreadable, free hand clenching and unclenching at his side as though it didn't quite know what to do.

"Very well, Edward. You wish to lead them, then you lead. I'll collect my belongings and leave you to your army." Without any further objections the Scarecrow limped off towards the door on long, spindly legs.

"Jonathan, you'll most assuredly be assassinated without us," Edward said.

Crane didn't even slow.

Selina watched him pass by her shadowy wall quietly.

Pausing at the bound and gagged Batgirl, Crane helped her down by the vines that tied her wrists and dragged her with him out the door into the rain.

"Jon was doing a good job of leading us, Eddie." Ivy said, her voice was velvet covered steel.

"He was doing a good job of hiding you for a short time, what we need to do is bring the fight to us, on our turf and on our terms." The Riddler replied.

Selina eyed the door Crane had left open. She wasn't sure what to do, Eddie was always arrogant, but Crane deserved some credit for holding the group together for as long as he did.

Thankfully Ivy went after Crane, out into the rain and left the Riddler to study their makeshift map on the table, hand tracing the lines gracefully.

Glancing over at Firefly, Selina found he had removed his helmet and was casually lighting a cigarette. Noticing her gaze, he flicked the lit match away carelessly and tilted his chin ever so.

God, a decent author could write an entire book of speculations on Firefly's enigmatic gestures and looks alone, but none of them would even be right.

In the dry, dusty lighthouse, Selina knew the match would set things ablaze fast, so she stepped out of the shadows to stamp out the flame, bringing herself into the open.

It was only then that the Riddler noticed her and he smiled easily, not at all worried about what sort of ire he had awoken in his only good friend among the criminals of Gotham's underworld.

"Selina," he greeted. "You look damp."

She glanced back into the shadows to find Firefly slipping away, heading up the stairs.

Looking back she found Eddie an arm's length from her and crossed her arms. "Ed, you look…beat the hell up."

"Minor wounds from a major battle," he explained.

"Where are your girls?" She asked.

"On vacation. They wanted a few more days overseas and I really didn't want them getting into this anyways."

Selina nodded and took a step back from Eddie. "You know," she began carefully, "Jon was doing a good job leading us."

"He would have gotten you all killed eventually." The Riddler replied. "Jonathan is clever, yes, but his tactics are lacking."

"And you don't care that he just walked off?" She demanded.

The Riddler angled his head. "Why would I?"

Scoffing at how little he actually cared about anyone other than himself, Selina dropped her arms. "Would you care if I walked off alone into the night?"

"There's a riddle in your voice," he replied slowly. "You're…upset with me?"

"For a smart guy you're kind of dumb, Ed." She stated.

Eddie stared off into space and she could see the gears working behind his blue eyes as he worked through their interactions.

"Ah," he said finally, after a long moment of deep thought. "I see. I'll be back."

Selina smiled to herself as the Riddler marched across the room towards the door.

He hesitated at the sight of the rain, glancing back at her worriedly.

She quirked a brow, hoping it conveyed her stern desire to see him make good with Crane.

Tsking, Eddie shook his head. "The things I do for you."


	11. Manos: The Hands of Fate

**need4lov - Thanks. I know, even in the comics when she feels like helping, it seems like Selina can be quite the peacekeeper.  
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**Spirit of Pandora - Aw, your review made my day. Thanks ever so for the support!  
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**lana - Thanks. I enjoy Crane/Selina interactions. They can be quite amusing.  
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**haikuowl - Edward is kind of a rude duck, though isn't he? Too arrogant sometimes to understand basic human kindness.  
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**I'M BATMAN - No, I'm actually saying 'I'm Batman'. j/k Yes, Query and Echo will return. I love writing them, they're so jealous and loyal to Eddie that it's hard not to have them in a story.  
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**Gee everyone, sorry for the wicked late update. School is balls hard. But since I'm on holidaze, here's a new chapter! Hooray! (Anyone even getting the chapter name connections BTW? I feel like my little inside joke may be too inside).  
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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven: Manos: The Hands of Fate<strong>

****Firefly****

Firefly wasn't certain about a lot of things in life. He had never been one to figure he knew everything, but he did know a few key things.

The first thing he knew for certain was that people were born and eventually they died. The fields would always be sown and then reaped. Empires would rise and fall, but the one thing he learned fast in the last month was that pride cometh before a fall and Edward Nygma was a fool parading towards the Grand Canyon with his nose firmly in the air.

Loitering in the darkest, quietest corner of the lighthouse, he chain smoked heavily and watched as the Riddler explained his harebrained scheme to the others.

The man had enthusiasm, sure. But any idiot with a bright, powerful smile like Nygma's could sell madmen the Terra Cotta Army for a song and he certainly had determination, a man as arrogant as Edward never saw fault in his ideas.

But.

Firefly exhaled slowly.

But inviting an army into your home armed with only a cobbled together array of weapons was something akin to the Alamo and Firefly knew for certain that that didn't end too well for at least one side of that battle.

"Edward, do me a favour," Crane drawled from where he had coiled himself against a wall. "Take a step outside yourself and look back at all the crazy you're spewing."

Thankfully someone was going to say it; it saved Firefly from having to deal with setting them straight.

The Riddler quirked a brow and dropped his over excited hands that had been gesturing wildly. "Don't be petty, Jonathan," he said, "The colour makes you look wan."

Unfolding his arms, the Scarecrow approached the centre ring, limping like a warrior wounded in battle. He had never looked so commanding, so much like a leader. Firefly was a little impressed.

"You're going to get us all killed with your overconfidence, Edward."

Firefly inhaled smoke deep into his lungs, enjoying the soothing burn, watching as things got infinitely more interesting.

"Firstly," Crane began, "you expect us to hold up against an army? Us? With…Jervis' tea and whatever Lynns brings to the table?"

As all eyes turned on him, Firefly felt the need to do something. He felt he was proving Crane right by just standing around like a statue. Tucking his cigarette in between his lips, he held up both hands and removed his thumb in an act of common prestidigitation.

"I…well that's actually pretty impressive," Edward admitted after a moment. "At least he could distract them."

"And what about Fugate, hm? What good is he against an army?" Crane went on.

"You're losing supporters fast, Jonathan." The Clock King sniffed calmly.

"Hardly sorry about that," Crane snapped, eyeing the Riddler. "At least will you admit that we're going to need a lot more help than just us if we want to bring the fight here?"

Edward sniffed. "Of course we'll need more help than just us, Jonathan. I've already thought this through."

"Who?"

"A few old business partners," the Riddler replied.

"Who?" Crane insisted.

"Criminals don't do anything for other criminals without a hefty pay-out." Ivy pointed out.

"They owe me some favours," Edward said.

"I really hope that it's not who I think is, because I have to say, Edward, I won't stand beside the Joker and his insane little fuck bunny when the gates of hell open. That's one death march I will not take part of."

The Riddler climbed onto the wobbly table with cat-like grace and beamed at the crowd of villains. "Look," he began.

Firefly knew the man had a gift of gab, but he wondered if a silver tongue could give him enough support or if those around him would finally break ranks. No one liked working with the Joker, he was unpredictable. And if Lynns thought Nygma couldn't be trusted, the Joker was very obviously not the sort to be trusted. His mind worked on a whole new level of crazy and there was no reasoning with him.

"Look," Edward went on, "I know. You poor masses are huddled and weak, I understand. But you placed me in charge of this little group and I'm leading you."

"I don't recall voting on you to lead us," the Clock King pointed out.

"I suggested myself," Maxie Zeus said. "Made more sense than a mere mortal, but," he sniffed contemptuously, "you went another direction."

"As I recall," Ivy broke in evenly, "we all voted on Jonny boy to lead us."

Firefly watched as the Riddler's massive ego took a donkey punch and the man's face fell his cerulean blue eyes becoming stormy instantly.

"I see." He removed his tie. "I just went across the ocean on a ten hour plane trip in coach to get my face stepped on by thirty malcontents for you all, but I see your point." He threw the tie across the room in a huff and unbuttoned the top three buttons on his shirt. "Swallowed a tooth, but who cares if it tears the lining of my stomach to hell, right? Because you all made your decision." He rolled up the sleeves on his shirt and ran his hands over his face. "Fine. Let's sit here, then. See if this whole situation sorts itself out, shall we?"

"Edward—" Selina began.

The Riddler leapt off the table and upturned it, throwing it in the general direction of the villains. "Here's an idea!" He shouted. "Let's just play Russian Roulette while we wait, hm? Because I think dying of that act of stupidity would actually make me feel better about my IQ then waiting here to be killed!"

Knowing the Riddler's temper was legendary when it came to his ego; Firefly calmly inhaled his cigarette smoke and exhaled waiting for the storm to pass.

"Edward," Selina took the situation in hand, approaching the volatile criminal. "No one is saying your idea doesn't have its merits." She purred, sliding her hand up his chest and around to grip the back of his neck gently.

"I am." Crane muttered.

"You're not helping," Ivy snarled, stepping closer to the Scarecrow.

Flicking away his cigarette Firefly watched as the embers bounced off the wooden floorboards into the shadows as all hell broke loose and everyone started yapping at once, trying to speak over each other.

Watching their group fall apart, Firefly made the decision to finally do something, stepping away from the wall and striding through the dead centre of the crowd, heading for the door.

"Lynns, where are you going?" Selina demanded, catching up with him at the door.

"I'm out of smokes," he muttered, tugging his helmet on and stepping out into the night.

"Do you think it's wise to split up from the group?" She demanded, following him.

"Do you think we're being productive here fighting like kids on a playground?" He angled his head to face the door where a melee was still in the midst. "What do you want from me, Catwoman?" He demanded.

"Apparently nothing," she replied coolly.

* * *

><p>He swaggered into the Iceberg Lounge just as the sun was rising up over the edge of the horizon, workers there eyed him as they stacked tables and chairs, but he ignored their looks, heading for the office.<p>

The truth was he hadn't felt right since Adelaide.

The bastards had taken her from him.

Firefly had thought that perhaps she understood him; she was certainly good at reading him just by the way he held himself.

He had never been what one would call 'extroverted', even before he became Firefly. It just wasn't in his nature to share his thoughts and feelings, he liked having someone who he didn't have to explain things to, plus she was smoking hot and he loved her legs.

But those fuckers in the ninja costumes sliced her forty ways from last Sunday and by the time he found her she was barely recognizable.

She was just a sweet kid from the South end of Gotham who had a thing for fire and men in leather boots. Hell, she baked cookies on Fridays in a frilly pink apron and brought them to him at Arkham on Saturday visiting hours.

He didn't think the others truly appreciated the situation they were in. This wasn't war, this was pure extermination. There was a reason criminals were targeted and it was because they were seen as cockroaches and Lynns knew that Nygma knew this too. The Riddler was diplomatic, if anything. He razzle-dazzled the others into believing this was a crime war, just two factions fighting over turf, but it was so much more.

Knocking on the Penguin's door, Lynns waited patiently against the wall, his heavy black leather boots crossed.

"Enter," the Penguin called from the other side of the door.

Opening the door cautiously, Lynns stepped into the dimly lit office, heavy boots falling softly on the thick carpet.

The rotund man looked up from where he sat sipping at brandy and eyeing paperwork.

"Qua, twice in one night is a pleasant surprise," the man greeted. "What brings you around for a second time?"

"Ordnance," Lynns replied, coming to a neat pause at the man's desk.

"Ah-huh," the Penguin leaned back in his chair. "And what makes you desire weapons, my fiery friend?"

"Mathematics."

The Penguin pursed his lips, removing his cigarette holder calmly. "Go on."

"Ten creatures, each with two hands capable of holding a handgun versus – approximately – the twenty-three that I counted on our way back from your office last night, each of those twenty-three seemed content to weld swords, katanas to be exact, now consider the fact that these ten creatures each don't have a weapon, among them only three are packing heat, do the math that's seven creatures without weapons, now some of them have melee weapons, yes. Catwoman and her whip, Ivy and her lips, etcetera. What I'm looking to do is put a gun in each of those empty hands to give us better odds against the twenty some enemies we are facing. I have heard it said you're the man to go to for weapons, therefore I'm here for an assload of ordnance."

"If I were a betting man I wouldn't take those odds of you or those other crime hounds making it out of this one alive." The Penguin said. "Besides, I don't just give out charitable donations."

"I'm not here for charity. I'm willing to barter."

"Well, let's start the bargaining process then, shall we?"

"I have a Batgirl." Lynns stated simply.

The Penguin removed the ciggie from his holder and stamped it out, reaching for his case to light another. "And?"

"A live bomb strapped to my waist." Lynns teased.

Of course with his helmet on the Penguin had no idea it was a joke and this amused Firefly even more as the bird-like fellow slowly opened his golden cigarette holder and pulled one out. The King of Gotham's criminal underworld scoffed then and tucked the cigarette into his holder. "You're kidding."

"Of course." Lynns replied, reaching for his little box of wooden matches. "Allow me."

Pulling out a tiny little wooden stick, Firefly mused on the wee, manmade items he had added to his weaponry. So small and insignificant, but since strike anywhere matches had been made illegal in most states, he had resorted to making his own. They were higher in phosphorus than the average match and could be lit on practically anything with a rough surface. He used to amuse Adelaide by lighting them on his stubble.

She would clap her hands together and smile that bright, child-like grin of hers in absolute joy.

Now, however, he just used the rough strip supplied on the silver matchbox he kept the matches in and leaned towards the Penguin with the tiny flame held out.

Instead of lighting the cigarette the man offered, Lynns dropped the flaming match into Oswald's brandy snifter and the Penguin shot back as blue fire flared out of the glass of highly combustible liquor. With a dark look, the man tucked his cigarette holder into his mouth and leaned down to light his smoke from the dying blue flame of the glass.

Calmly, Firefly reached out and tamped out the flame with a heavy leather gloved hand.

"Clever," Oswald squawked. "Now get me another brandy, smart ass."

"Throw some spices in there and you have glogg," Firefly replied. "You should thank me for expanding your alcoholic borders."

Holding up the snifter, Oswald eyed the floating match with doubt. "Yes, but there's still a match floating in my half assed glogg."

"Adds flavour. About those weapons?"

Clamping his teeth down on his holder, the Penguin grinned. "I'll make you a deal, Firefly, because you actually wore the monocle I gave you, I'll sell you enough arms to keep your little group happy and if you run down to Amherst and Vine, there's a little operation there, setting up in my territory that needs cleaning out."

"Fire purges filth," Firefly said.

"Indeed."

"Give me three hours."

* * *

><p>He was gliding on the updraft of the flames, enjoying a bird's eye view of his work, swooping in and out of the column of smoke that rose above the little warehouse operation on the corner of Amherst and Vine.<p>

If he closed his eyes he could hear the flames speaking.

They crackled and snapped, but they spoke to him in a dry rasp and it calmed him.

_The world is on fire_, the flames whispered to him.

"The world is on fire," he repeated softly, words falling from his mouth, lost between the muffling effects of his helmet and the roar of the fire raging below him.

_Man was never meant to have the flame_, the fire rasped_. Prometheus stole this from the Gods._

"I am the sanctioned son of the flame. The keeper of the fire." Firefly muttered. "Only I have the right to the flame and only I can offer the purification through the application of fire upon man."

At the sound of approaching sirens, Firefly allowed his gliding dance among the smoke end and he swirled lower and lower on the updrafts, heading back to earth like a whirligig falling from a caragana shrub.

Touching down delicately, Firefly gave the flaming building one last, wistful glance, before marching off into the darkness of a nearby side street, his wings retracting back into their compact state with the touch of a button.

* * *

><p>By the time he returned to the lighthouse dawn was turning the Eastern horizon rosy pink and the ocean beyond was shimmering with promises of light.<p>

Setting the two heavily laden bags of guns and ammo down near the door, Firefly peered around the quiet first floor, finding only three figures remained, one propped on the shaky table, long, spidery hand thrust through thick brown hair, another standing at his side quietly, the third figure, Batgirl, remained tied securely in the corner of the room with Ivy's vines like a fly caught in a spider's web.

Firefly glanced about, quietly making his way across the floor.

Jonathan Crane looked up and over at him from where he sat perched on the table like a gangly rag doll. "I didn't think you'd be back," he remarked.

Firefly eased down onto a chair, sticking his legs out in front of him. "I had to make myself useful," he replied simply. "Found some weapons to defend ourselves with."

Crane waved his hand carelessly. "It doesn't matter."

Glancing over at Poison Ivy who stood akimbo by Crane's knees, Firefly ran a tongue over his bottom lip to wet it. "Where's Catwoman?"

"She and Edward left, Maxie Zeus and Two-Face went with them." Ivy stated.

"The group's divided then." Firefly pointed out. "Well, more guns for us."

Looking at him with narrowed, suspicious eyes, the Scarecrow unfurled his ungodly long legs and hopped off the table. "You're going to stay here, then?"

Firefly looked at the stairs to where Jervis was sweeping a cloud of dust about idly. Lynns fingered a grenade at his side calmly at the sight. It was odd to see Jonathan Crane look so shocked by something, so he wanted to bathe in that shock from the Purveyor of Fear, if only for a few seconds by prolonging his reply.

"Crane," he began carefully, feeling the word roll around in his mouth as he removed his helmet and dropped it at his side carelessly, "I've always been told there are two kinds of men in the world. Those who stand outside the fire and those who run into it," he muttered, reaching for his pack of cigarettes. Finding it, he shook the pack, knocking one out and tucked the long, white stick into his mouth. "In my experience, the men who run into the fire usually end up getting burned by it."

In the flare of his match, Firefly found the Scarecrow's pale eyes wide and attentive.

With a small moment of thought, Crane growled and spun on his heel, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Ivy snarled, racing to catch up with him.

"To find Edward before he does something insanely stupid!"

Furling out a plume of smoke from his freshly lit cigarette, Firefly met Jervis' eyes as the Mad Hatter had halted his sweeping to stare at him.

There was, for a brief moment, an instant of clarity in Jervis' eyes and he and Firefly shared a look, before Lynns gave the twitchy man a small, barely there smirk and pulled a deep drag from the smoke in his hand.


	12. Hamlet

**Oh ho! Who thought I abandoned this story? Shame on you! ...well shame on me, I got distracted with my Walking Dead stuff...I apologize. But here's a peace offering. I'm sorry? ^_^**

**Little Gem Magnolia - You know. I...I may lean towards Jon/Pam, just because they are sort of going that way on their own. It's organic enough, right?**

**CRAZY QUILT - LOL! Polka Dot Man! Mine would be Calendar Man.**

**LilyHellsing - There will be no 'Next' button on this chapter either until my next update. ^_^**

**Titan - Killer Croc, yes, most definitely. Bane, no, because no. Just kidding. I'll try to work them both in! ^_^**

**phibes - Yes, yes they would. Actually, I'm using MST3k movie episodes as a guide (so basically B movies.) Just because it amuses me.**

**jacksparrowlovesme - Firefly in the comics is much different. I agree. But then again, he isn't used as much as he should be (imho).**

**raikota - So, I guess I'll do this series when I have the time now or...**

**SKC83 - Sorry for the long wait! Eep.**

**NShadows - Thank you for the polite inquiry, I appreciate it. And I also appreciate you realizing I had another project on the burner.**

**NURSE J0Y - New chapter!**

**Nomad1 - Thank you. I'm sorry it's taking me forever to update it. I'm hoping to get back to this story.**

**Guest - Hehe, trying to guilt me, eh? LOL! Succeeded! ^_^**

**Katherine - I know...I am so ashamed. I'll go stand in the corner now...**

**Guest - Yes. Yes it was. It really was. ^_^**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve: Hamlet<strong>

****Selina****

"Eddie, wait!" She called after him, struggling to keep up with his long legs as he headed in the direction of the bay, Maxie Zeus and Two-Face waiting for her at the top of the steep stairs down. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to throw myself into the bay and let the fish eat me bit by bit!" He growled over his shoulder, shoving his hands into his pockets sullenly and picking his way over the rocks. "And it's Edward!"

"You know, Eddie, if you'd just stop being such an arrogant ass, I could almost like you," she grumbled.

At the water's edge, instead of jumping in as he claimed, he stopped and stood and stared out at the water.

Moving to stand at his side, Selina inhaled the sea air and studied the Riddler's face as the gears worked overtime in his brilliant head.

"What's really going on around here, Ed?" She whispered to him. "You always know the game three moves in advance."

"What's happening is forceful abdication of a leader from—"

"If you say one more thing about Crane being chosen over you, I swear I will cram my fist down your throat," she growled.

"Selina!" He barked in a tone that she had never heard come from the man. He seemed to have realized his tone immediately, because he adjusted his tie and inhaled deeply. "Don't you see the joke here? We are the criminals, cutthroats, killers and thieves, being hunted down by one of our own. Do you see?" He approached her quietly, eyes intense and burning into hers.

"The Joker?"

Eddie sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, backing down from her. "I adore you more than any living creature, but you sometimes disappoint me."

She smirked. It was a backhanded compliment, but coming from Eddie, it was good enough.

"I won't claw your eyes out for that, Eddie," she whispered.

"Three moves ahead," he murmured. "And you'll find out that this is a test of sorts. We're all being put into a test."

"Why?"

The Riddler quirked an eyebrow. "Ah, that's five moves ahead, Selina. I'm no seer."

She watched as the hand that had been pinching the bridge of his nose moved to rub at his temple, his chin angling, his face turning towards her.

Selina stood in the light of the rising sun, a curl of hair had escaped her mask and was stuck to the corner of her lips.

Dropping his hand, the Riddler turned to her completely, his brow knitting, his eyes narrowing at her.

"Eddie," she began.

"Shh," he warned, taking a step in close to her, head tilting curiously.

"Ed—"

"Shh, don't move." He stated, voice still soft.

She didn't like having him look at her like he was, it was…unnerving.

"In five moves," he said, gently reaching up and tucking her hair back under her mask, hand settling against her cheek, "we'll be dead."

She frowned.

"Or alive," he added, rubbing his thumb over her bottom lip.

Instinct inside her told her to run or to fight him, but she couldn't move, he looked so rough and worn and absolutely beat to shit, but he also looked more human than she had ever seen Edward Nygma look.

"The truth is, Selina, I can't concentrate properly."

"Because of me?" She asked, sticking out her hip and resting a clawed hand on it.

"Ha!" He barked, stepping back from her and returning his hand to his forehead to rub it some more. "Don't flatter yourself, kitten."

"Because of Ivy?" She teased.

"Ivy?" He repeated, hand dropping.

"Yes. You remember her. Loves plants, hates you?"

"Ivy…" he tapped his forehead with his finger.

"Sometimes it goes with Holly," Selina went on smugly.

"Ivy…" Edward went on murmuring. "Of course!" He declared, sweeping his arms out.

Selina smiled. "You on to something there, Eddie?"

He snapped his fingers. "I bet Ivy put Crane up to usurping me! Only she would be that petty and vindictive!"

"Oh my God!" Sweeping her own arms out, Selina sighed and turned around, heading for the steps back up to the top. "You know what, Eddie? Why don't you just jump into the sea! Do me a favour!"

Storming up the steps, she approached Two-Face who was idly rolling his coin over his knuckles and puffing away on his cigarette.

"Want me to beat him to death?" He asked her.

Selina smirked. "What does Harvey think about that offer?"

Two-Face pondered this for a moment, before his scarred side grinned wickedly. "Half dead, then?"

Crane joined them then, eyes on the Riddler who still sulked and pondered on the beach below them.

"Is he pouting?"

"He's rationalizing," Selina greeted.

"Stubborn ass."

"He's your friend."

"Hn, and

Edward pushed between them, heading back for the lighthouse with a determined glint in his eye.

Selina sighed, but trailed after him anyways, shadowing the smartest dumb ass she knew.

Eddie burst into the lighthouse like a fireman entering a burning building and pointed a finger at Crane.

"Alright, Crane, we're going to solve this puzzle today!"

The Scarecrow frowned. "Okay."

"First," Edward declared loudly. "We look at every single villain Gotham who isn't being affected by this! We look at motives and we look at alibies. If our enemy is going to act like a bunch of criminals, then we treat this like a criminal investigation! Crane, you're in charge here, you keep all information gathered here in this place, you choose men to defend our position here. Meanwhile I'll take a few people out to beat the streets. If we go anywhere, it's in pairs, we pick a partner and stay with them."

Selina smiled a little, proud that the giant elf seemed to have gotten his act together.

"But I'm in charge," Eddie finished.

Crane heaved a sigh. "Edward, your ego is going to be deflated at the worst possible moment someday. I wouldn't puff it up too much if I were you."

"What ego?" Edward demanded, adjusting his tie. "Selina, you're with me."

"I'd rather not," she said coolly, wandering over to the dark corner where Firefly skulked.

"Fine," Edward spat. "Firefly you're not allowed to partner up with anyone."

"Eat me, Nygma," Firefly returned exhaling a stream of smoke.

Crane sat up straighter on the table where he perched and sighed. "Can we all just pretend he has some authority, for the time being at least?"

Selina smiled to herself as people slowly began to separate into pairs.

"I don't want you to be my partner," Firefly growled from her side.

"Good, I don't want to be your partner," she stated.

"Now you are all just pretending to listen to Crane just to spite me," the Riddler pointed out. "You know he would gas you in a heartbeat. He has no loyalty."

"Says the man who two timed me in Rome," Selina pointed out. She knew she was being hard on Eddie, but he had it coming.

"Well, it's expected of me, Selina dear, I never claimed to be loyal to anyone." His face brightened and he beamed. "Riddle me this—"

"A star!" Jervis shouted from the stairs, where he was hugging the broom tightly.

Edward hesitated, blinking, before sighing. "No. It…no."

"It could be a star, who's to say that it isn't? Stars are eternal and sparkly." The Mad Hatter argued.

"You're out of your star," Edward shot back.

"A man talking sense to himself is no madder than a man talking nonsense not to himself," Jervis countered swiftly.

"Hatter logic," Firefly murmured from beside her.

Selina scoffed.

"Break it up over there, we have work to do!" Eddie shouted at them.

"Partner up, big guy?" Selina asked with a grin, looking over at Firefly.

"Only to piss Edward off," Firefly replied calmly.

"Piss him off?" She demanded, not noticing the Riddler's dark, stony stare.

Pushing off from where he had posted against the wall, Firefly flicked away his cigarette butt and replaced his helmet. "Well, I suppose."

"No, wait," she argued. "You said to 'piss Edward off'. What do you mean piss him off?"

Firefly headed for the door, pushing between Edward and Crane who were both scowling unhappily.

"If you find anything," the Riddler began.

"Kill them all," Firefly returned calmly.

"Report back here."

"No," Firefly stated quietly. "I will purge them in the cleansing baptismal heat of hellfire."

"I…Selina?" Edward pleaded.

"We'll report back."

"No we won't."

"Don't be difficult," she growled, pushing Firefly out of the lighthouse.

Outside they walked quietly side by side, before she said, "you don't like him much, do you?"

"Who?"

"Eddie."

"You're wrong," he returned. "I like Edward very much. I may even go so far as to say I respect him."

"Then why bust his balls?"

"Because in my family you torment the ones you love."

She smiled a little as they hit the street.

"Why do you respect him of all people?" She asked.

"What's not to respect? He's intelligent and good looking, plus he dresses like a college English professor. That's something every man strives to be."

She chuckled.

"I'm serious." He deadpanned.

"Come on, Garfield, you're handsome and smart."

"But I dress like a member of a German synth pop band," he finished.

She covered her grin by turning her face away, studying the pink glow of the rising sun.

"What I wouldn't give to wear an avocado green three piece and a bowler," he went on.

With his helmet in place, Selina couldn't tell if he was joking or not, so she narrowed her eyes.

"Besides, my intellect is average and my looks are…somewhat better than a hog. My only claim to fame, so to speak, is my ability to light a fire."

"But you do it so well," she teased.

"I'm not bemoaning my lot in life, mind you," he went on. "I just sometimes wish I could rock a three piece suit while taking care of business."

She smirked. "You're teasing."

"Usually."

They passed by a couple of harbour types, heading for the wharfs and Selina sighed. "Maybe we should get off the streets in our costumes, you're beginning to look good to these longshoremen in your black leather."

"We're both in black leather," he argued, ducking into an alleyway with her.

"Yeah, but my tits aren't getting the attention they deserve," she growled, grabbing hold of a drainpipe and hefting herself up. "I hope you can climb."

"Just because no one is looking, doesn't mean you should hide yourself away and sulk," he returned, moving nearby to where a dumpster lay open. "I happen to think they were just being gentlemen." He went on, hoisting himself up onto the edge of the dumpster and using a nearby telephone pole, braced his legs against it, his back against the wall and climbed up that way, arriving on the rooftop with her.

Selina took to the roofs easily, pausing now and then to ensure he was with her.

Firefly wasn't as graceful or as good as her at leaping over the gaps, but he managed to get over in any way he could.

"What are our plans?" He asked as they paused at a large gap and she pondered how to get them both across.

"We get into street clothes," she said. "Can't wander Gotham looking for ninjas in our work clothes unless we want to attract attention."

"I thought that was your goal?" He retorted.

She jutted her hip out and rested her hand on it. "Are you…actually getting bored enough to just throw bullshit out at people? Is that what this is?"

"Yeah."

Smirking, she motioned him to the wall where a fire escape dangled just below the ledge. "Come on, I'll lift us some clothes from this building. What shoe size are you? Seven?"

"Twelve," he corrected.

Hopping down, she tilted her head. "Could have fooled me."

"Don't be fooled by my shoe size," he said, scrambling down after her. "I'm not very measurable as a man."

She chuckled and scoped the window of the apartment they were standing outside of. It looked dead, but it also looked very girly. "Think you're shit out of luck, cowboy, we might be squeezing you into something pink and frilly."

When he said nothing, she glanced back and grinned.

"You wouldn't care at all, would you?" She demanded.

"Nothing wrong with pink or frilly, it may even make me look more intimidating."

"I'm tempted." She said, breaking the window and opening the latch. She could have been more subtle about it, but she didn't have time to use any cunning and it was low on her list of priorities.

Digging through the closet, she emerged with a flecked sweater grey t-shirt and some jeans.

"You're in luck, Garfield, looks like she had a boyfriend," she handed the clothes over.

Firefly held up the shirt. "She had a tiny boyfriend."

"Not all men are giant redwoods like you," Selina teased, helping him undress. "Keep the boots, keep the pants, put the tee on."

Removing his helmet, Firefly scowled as Selina shoved his jacket off and shucked his under protective vest off.

She knew he could very well dress himself, but she wasn't going to miss her chance.

Removing his undervest, she dropped her hand and stepped back in mild shock. "Oh."

Under his clothes, his chest and stomach was a combination of wrinkled flesh and smooth patches where he had been licked with fire.

Selina blinked. "I didn't know. I'm sorry."

He quirked a brow. "I'm not ashamed of it," he said. "To be kissed by fire is a badge of honour. She let me live."

Carefully she reached out and touched the scarred tissue.

"When flames get hot enough, when the nerve endings burn, it feels cold," he explained. "I wanted to be entirely consumed."

"Why?"

"Because She's so beautiful."

It was then that she understood his madness. Firefly wasn't so much a pyromaniac, nor was he a pyrophiliac, he honestly loved fire.

"You're mad as a hatter," she said softly, not at all disgusted or bothered by it.

He smiled.

"It's no wonder why you were no match for Batman though," she went on, turning to find clothes for herself. "You're not angry, just crazy."

"I don't ever mean to hurt people, but the fire chooses who lives and dies, I give birth to Her and God decides after She's born, when She takes over and rages through the land. And only God can give or take."

"God is a woman?" She asked, plucking a tight black long sleeved shirt from the hanger and studying it.

"God created the heaven and the earth, and then gave Her daughters the ability to bring forth life of their own, of course She's a woman."

"I like you more and more each hour we hang out, Garfield," she said. "You have the name of a cat and the opinions I like in a man. We should partner up some night and cause a little chaos."

Pulling the tight t-shirt on, Firefly eased onto the bed and ruffled his hair, watching her go through the closet.

"Why does he like you best?" He asked her.

She glanced over her shoulder at him.

"I've been watching you and the Riddler since we've all been together and he likes you best out of anyone I've yet seen."

"He likes Crane."

"They're alike, but Edward is…easier on you. He listens to you."

"Sometimes," she murmured bending over to unlace her boots to remove her uniform.

"Why?"

She paused in removing her boot, looking at the wall of the closet. "I don't know," she said after a minute.

"You're not like us," Firefly said. "You're whole."

She scoffed, stepping out of her uniform, not at all worried about him seeing her half naked. "I'm broken too," she said. "Just in a completely different way."

"I used to be whole," he said. "But one day I saw Her dancing and she called to me said it was my duty to introduce her to the world so that she could purge and cleanse. Did She urge you to steal?"

"Why is it whenever I'm with you and we're having a heart-to-heart I feel like I'm in therapy?" She asked, squeezing her powerful ass and thighs into the thin girl's jeans.

"Because as a child I liked to capture bugs and analyze them, before returning them to the wild," he said, standing up and approaching to help her into the pants, yanking her up by the belt-loops.

She laid a hand against his bicep and grinned. "Easy, big fella. I may be able to kick your ass if I had to, but I'm still a lot smaller than you."

"You tame him," he said.

"Who? Eddie?" She laughed then. "No. I don't think anyone could tame his crazy ass. We're just two particles travelling at the same velocity towards the same end goal."

Firefly stepped back, eyes glinting in the dim light. "One always gives the other a boost in speed to help them along and keep you from straying off your path."

She smirked and patted his chest. "Look at you with your moderate intelligence."

"Drift velocity was twelfth grade physics," he replied. "I happen to have been paying attention during that class."

Pulling on a shirt from the closet and replacing her boots, she stuffed their gear into a suitcase.

"We'll store these on the rooftop and come back later."

"Nothing like returning to the scene of the crime," he replied, following her out the window.


	13. The Dead Talk Back

**Hey all my Batbabes! I'm back! And guess what? I'm thinking it's time you all got an ending to this story, so expect more updates! You're all really kind people and I appreciate the patience. I know, I know, I'm the worst and deserve to be fed to Kill Croc, but won't you take pity on me? I do so love you all...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen: The Dead Talk Back<strong>

****Selina****

"So, we have a list, but I have to tell you, Lynns, I don't think any of these whacko's are behind this," she said as they strolled about the street like normal Gothamites.

Beside her Garfield Lynns, dark and stormy as he was, eyed every passerby almost accusingly, as though any of them could be the ones who wanted everyone dead. "It's probably some young kid looking to make a name for themselves. I bet we haven't even met the little worm yet."

"No newbie is that good," she retorted.

"Pride cometh before a fall," Lynns murmured, flicking his cigarette butt at someone who coughed loudly as he passed.

The man turned to say something, but the arch look Lynns flashed him had the smaller fellow backing away and hurrying on his journey.

"Don't be so miserable," she warned. "Play nice with the ants."

"I'm sorry, I don't do social," he growled.

"It's the shirt," she said, crossing Calendar Man from their list. He bit it a while back when all of this first started. Didn't shock her, he was a world class wuss.

"What?"

Selina motioned to a couple of businesswomen in tight pencil skirts who were watching Lynns pass quietly and almost hungrily.

"What are they looking at?" He demanded.

Reaching over, she gingerly pat his stomach, knowing the scarred tissue that lay beneath the grey shirt. "Six pack."

He glanced down at where her hand rested, before levelling his chin. "I hate this."

"That's because you're out of your comfort zone, sweetie," she said. "What about Anarky? He does like to make a grand point…but…he's been sleazing around Metropolis lately…but he does have that hatred for most of us…I'm going to add him to the list."

"This street would be beautiful licked in flames," Lynns said.

"This street is beautiful without fire," she pointed out firmly.

Almost nervously, he reached for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket and lit one, glaring at a businessman who walked by coughing.

A group of children pushed passed them wearing their backpacks for school, laughing and shrieking as they darted in and out of the people walking the street.

"Public School 54 up the street," Selina said as Lynns gave the children confused and mildly horrified looks as they boldly touched him to get him to move.

Bowing her head back to the list, she stroked off name after name, narrowing down their search according to living or dead, possible threats or harmless crackpots.

A car passed by booming their bass and it wasn't long after that the squealing of tires had her finally tearing her eyes off the paper in her hands.

Garfield was gone and there was a crowd gathering up the street.

She jogged towards the crowd, pushing her way through to find Lynns setting a small girl down, backing away from the crowd.

"He just snatched her right up," someone murmured appreciatively from nearby.

"That asshole was driving too fast, just too too fast," someone else declared.

A young woman snapped a photo of Lynns with her phone as the crowd grew.

"What's your name?" Someone shouted.

"You saved that girl!"

"Friend of yours?" A very familiar voice purred from behind her.

Selina glanced over her shoulder and sighed. "Bruce."

"Where's he going?! Hey come back! You're a hero!" Someone in the crowd shouted and Selina looked back in time to see Lynns high tailing it across the street, heading for an alley with his head down.

"Oh great," she mumbled, turning around to face Bruce. "What can I do for you, Bruce?"

"I was getting a coffee nearby, heard the commotion," he returned. "Can I drive you anywhere? Seems your friend left you."

"Please, I fell for that line once," she said.

Bruce pocketed his hands casually. "I thought you liked my lines."

She smiled a little.

"We need to talk anyways," he added.

"Do we?"

"Selina," he urged.

She glanced in the direction Lynns went nervously. They really shouldn't break up, not with things the way they were.

"I'll donate fifty thousand to the animal shelter," Bruce stated.

She glanced back at the alley Firefly had gone down and then back to Bruce. "Well, they could use more medical equipment…"

"Come on," Bruce said, gesturing with a tilt of his head to where Alfred was parked.

"Making Alfred drive today, must be impressing someone," she teased, sliding into the backseat, giving the alley one last worried glance, before the car pulled away from the curb.

* * *

><p><strong>**Firefly**<strong>

It was instinct when he grabbed that little girl. Nothing he had planned, just pure instinct to protect a little one.

Not that he had a particular fondness for the little imps.

But that crowd was too much, he was overwhelmed and his first instinct was to flee. The heat was too hot, he mused with a small grin.

He'd go back for Selina after the crowd dispersed, couldn't have his face plastered on the six o'clock news as Gotham's newest saviour that would surely be bad for business.

Moving down the alley with the intent on circling back for her, he kicked at a plastic water bottle and shoved his hands into his pockets.

He hated having nothing to protect him, felt naked.

Reaching for his cigarette pack, he realized that he had dropped his last cigarette in the rush to get to the kid and as such it was empty save for his lighter.

Crumpling up the carton, he tossed it into a nearby dumpster and gave his lighter a few comforting flicks, watching the flame dance seductively, before tucking the silver Zippo away in his pants pocket.

Figuring he should probably get back onto a busy street, he hurried towards the end of the alley, ears attuned to every sound around him.

A gentle thump, had him turning.

The silver gleam of a weapon came at him.

* * *

><p><strong>**Selina**<strong>

"A lot of criminals are turning up dead," Bruce said as they drove.

Selina sighed, watching the shopping district of Gotham blur by wistfully, wishing she were there instead of riding around in Bruce Wayne's car pretending they weren't two people who ran around in costumes after dark.

"Yeah."

"Unfortunately no one will talk to me about it," he went on.

"Funny how criminals don't really open up to a man in a bat suit who tromps them on a daily basis," she mused.

"I can help them."

"And then put them away?" She sighed and looked at him. "Bruce, we both know you can help them, but they won't take it because it'll mean going right back into Arkham when you're done."

"The law is the law," he said.

"It's not always so black and white," she argued. They had this talk so, so many times that she was beginning to understand why dating him had ever been a mistake. She liked her shades of grey, the world was full of shades of grey, things were situational. Bruce liked his black and white. There was them and us, in his mind. All or nothing.

"Look, Bruce, people are dying and yes, they're criminals, but they are still people and right now, they don't deserve to be hunted down and toyed with as they have been. Alfred, let me out here," she called up to the front.

The butler pulled over.

"Look, help them or don't," she said. "Just don't poke your face into the hornet's nest. They won't be accommodating at all."

"Can I least have Batgirl back?" Bruce asked.

She smirked. "I'll see what I can do. If it makes you feel any better, she's in no real danger, we're all too hung up on this threat."

"Figured as much or I would have been breaking down your door." He returned.

Stepping out of the car, Selina smiled softly back at Bruce. "I hope you can help, they could use all the help they can get. Egos are clashing, but…be careful."

He smiled back. "I always am."

"Bye, Alfred," she purred at the driver.

"Goodbye, Miss Kyle."

She hurried back to the area she last lost Lynns, hoping that he was waiting for her in the alley or failing that, she could pick up his trail.

It took her about ten minutes, running across rooftops in effort to avoid the crowd, before she dropped into the alley where he had disappeared.

In midday heat the garbage stunk, but she held her nose enough to meander her way down, thinking he'd be in a dark doorway waiting.

What she found wasn't what she was expecting.

The first body she came upon was crumpled against a dumpster, dressed in black and impaled on an old rusty pipe.

Unsettled she hurried forward into the alley.

The next body was singed and lying splayed on his back, the smell of natural gas penetrating the air.

The third body was the only body she cared about and Selina dropped to her knees before Firefly.

He was propped up on his knees by the sword through his torso, a long line of blood dripping down from his mouth. His body was cut up, his hands held out, open by his knees, defensive wounds on them.

"No," she whispered, suddenly furious with herself and everyone.

Taking his face in her hands, she shed a few tears, telling herself they were angry tears.

"Lynns," she cooed. "I'm so sorry."

Firefly coughed blood and she leapt back, startled.

He was still alive.

Hurrying to staunch the blood, she didn't know whether to call out for help or what…? What did she do?

"Bats," she muttered. She needed a damned phone.

Stepping away from Lynns, worried eyes on him as she moved to a nearby doorway, she pounded on it. It looked like the backdoor of some Italian restaurant from the looks of the noodles strewn around the dumpster.

A scrawny young man came to the door and she burst inside.

"I need to use your phone," she declared.

The place must have been a mom and pop joint, there was only this kid and another young man as she grabbed a phone from the wall and dialled Bruce's number.

"Bruce," she greeted, waving the kid off her, "I need you!"

"Where are you?" He asked.

"The alley where you picked me up, behind…what is this place?!" She yelled at one of the kid's.

"Paganini's!" He squeaked

"Paganini's! I need medical help!" She shouted. "Hurry!"

"I'll be there."

Shoving the kids aside, she headed back into the alley and knelt before Lynns.

She didn't want to touch the sword or impale it deeper, so she merely staunched the wounds to his arms, holding his hands closed tightly into fists to keep the wounds closed.

This was all her fault. Oh God, she wouldn't forgive herself if Lynns died. They were supposed to stay together for safety.

"You must have put up a hell of a fight," she warbled, trying to keep him conscious.

He was shaking from the shock of his wounds and it broke her heart.

She moved in a little closer to him, ready to protect him with her body if those bastards came back to finish the job.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, hands still clenched around his fists.

"Lina," he mumbled, blood falling from his mouth.

"Shh," she urged. "It's okay. Don't talk, just…stay awake, okay?"

"Le—"

"Don't…just please, stay with me?" She pleaded.

He slouched forward, impaling himself a little more on the sword.

She struggled to keep him upright. "Stay with me!"

"Leviathan," he whispered in her ear, forehead coming to rest against her shoulder.

Selina could only hold him as she heard a rumble in the sky of the rotating blades and it hovered above them.

Robin hopped out of the black glass interior.

"Careful," he warned, "keep the sword in him, it may be keeping blood flow to a minimum."

She nodded and gently helped Robin ease Firefly onto the board that was dropped for them.

The two kids from the restaurant stood at the door and watched them as the body was pulled up into the copter, where Nightwing pulled it inside the copter.

Another two ropes were lowered for Selina and Robin, who both ascended into the belly of the beast.

Inside Bruce flew the copter, Robin must have picked him up before they arrived.

"Alfred," Bruce spoke into his helmet, "go ahead and prepare the cave."

"Yes, sir."

"Keep pressure here," Nightwing ordered her.

Selina pressed her hand hard down on Firefly's stomach and felt the warm squish of his blood as it seeped out between her fingers.

"He's lost so much blood!" Robin exclaimed.

"We're almost there!" Bruce shouted from the cockpit. "Keep him stabilized, Alfred will have everything ready. I don't suppose you know his blood type, Selina?"

"No," she murmured.

"His Arkham records will have it." Bruce assured her.

Firefly coughed up more blood, it splattered across Selina's face, but she didn't once release his wound, holding it as though frantically trying to contain the life that was trying to escape his earthly vehicle.

"We're almost there," she purred to him soothingly. "Stay with us."

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><p><strong>laal ratty - Sorry for lack of Eddie in this chapter, it bummed me out too. But! Plenty more in the next chapter!<strong>

**NURSE J0Y - Summary time! The Arkham criminals were being drugged, they escaped, then they began to go through withdrawals, meanwhile Eddie and Lina have some weird something going on, and they're all beat up and exhausted from running from these sudden assassins who want to kill them, so they're holed up in a lighthouse trying to cooperate with clashing egos in an effort to figure out who is trying to kill them/wants to use them as test subjects...and that's basically where we are!**

**Katherine - I'm glad I made your day, I hope to make it more frequently now! I have a whole summer on my hands!**

**LittleGreyOwl - You read my mind on who is behind it all! ^_^!**

**jacksparrowlovesme - In writing this I've come to love Firefly, like totally and completely. Maybe it's just because I kind of love fire myself...not to his extent mind you, but burning stubble on the farm back home always was fun to me...O-o**

**The Hazard - Well! Thank you! I really appreciate reviews like yours. They make me want to keep writing!**

**Katherine(2?) - I appreciate you giving me the hard time. I earned it. Abandoning this baby for so long. You're all so patient. I really mean it when I say I love you guys for not being too hard on me! (Good news is I finished my first year of college without dying or failing...so there's that...)**


	14. Beast of Yucca Flats

**Am I playing with timelines and universes? Yes. Am I enjoying shaking things up? Yes. Do I love literary anarchy? Kind of.**

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><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen: Beast of Yucca Flats<strong>

****Riddler****

"It doesn't make sense," he muttered to himself, tearing the paper up and splaying the pieces across the table.

He had written the names of all the known criminals on them for a visual in order to help him put the pieces together, but it wasn't going well regardless of his tactics.

"I am but a small piece among a sea of pieces," Jervis declared proudly from nearby. "How marvellous!"

"Jervis," Edward turned to him with a saccharine grin. "I'm sure in whatever gelatinous mess of a mind you have managed to concoct out of the primordial soup of your mother's womb you are quite certain you are indeed on to something, but here in reality, you are so far from something you're into the void."

"My mere presence in a void would nullify it being a void," Jervis replied calmly, wandering off to continue sweeping the lighthouse.

Edward gawped after him, hair falling into his eyes.

"When the Hatter bests you, Edward, perhaps it merely means you need a rest?" Crane inquired from where he sat reading a ten year old Time magazine on the lower step of the winding staircase.

From her spot beside Crane, where she had draped herself so that her head and luscious red hair hung over the edge of the steps, Ivy coaxed a long tendril of her namesake, playing with it idly with a long, elegant green finger and scoffed, "Eddie, maybe you should get some sleep? We're here holding down the fort if you need anything."

Eyeing the pieces of papers, Edward thrust his arms forward, shoving them off and slamming his forehead against the wood.

"Someone needs a happy face balloon," Crane muttered.

Ivy chuckled, earning her a sharp glare from Eddie as the man peered out through his ruffled red locks.

Sweeping to his feet, the Riddler smoothed his hair back with a graceful motion and threw his shoulders back, bringing himself to his full height, moving like a dancer across the lighthouse to stand before the Scarecrow.

"Jonathan," he began. "Why don't you, instead of sitting here and amusing Ivy, go out into the world and find yourself the biggest, hairiest pig with which to copulate."

Crane stood up fluidly, towering over the Riddler a little. "Excuse your mouth, Edward?"

"Boys," Ivy began softly. "Let's not fight without our shirts off and our chests greased…"

"Pamela, I'm half certain you—" Jonathan was cut off as Edward absently shoved him, sending the Scarecrow back onto the stairs, the Riddler had a distracted look on his face. His brow delicately furrowed.

A pile of gangly limbs, Crane fought to get back to his feet, glaring hard at the Riddler.

"I can destroy you!" Crane declared.

Edward was already walking off, moving to his table, falling to his knees on the floor and digging through the dust for his little papers with the carefully written names on.

"What is it?" Ivy asked, rolling over on the stairs in order to look at him properly.

Even Crane was curious, approaching the man slowly.

Edward stood up and slapped a piece of paper onto the tabletop.

Crane looked at the papers, eyebrows rising.

"What is it?" Ivy demanded, getting to her feet and approaching.

The Scarecrow picked up the paper and held it out for her to see.

"Professor Pyg?" She read aloud. "What about him?"

"I was too busy looking for suspects who may have had a grudge against us? But I should have been looking at suspects that fit the modus operandi!" The Riddler declared proudly. "Who is the one amongst us who likes to experiment, who doesn't care one bit about honour among the thieves? The one who is always in it for profit and glory?"

"You?" Ivy teased.

Edward paused and opened his mouth with a scathing retort just on the tip of his tongue, when the door burst open and Selina slipped in, her arms full of Firefly's gear.

"Selina?" Crane breathed. "Ever hear of—"

Catwoman shot him a warning glare, full of promises of murder.

"Is that Firefly's—"

"They got him." She stated, her tone icy and clipped.

Edward eased his hip against the table and folded his arms, he was unfamiliar with that tone in her normally composed voice.

"Dead?" He asked.

Selina gently set Firefly's gear down, resting his helmet on top like a cairn, warning all others about unsafe passages which lay beyond the gear.

"Selina?" Ivy urged as the woman in black leather stood by the gear quietly, her clawed hand on the helmet.

Jervis paused on the stairs, eyes wide, hand clutching his broom.

"Why do I help you anyways?" Selina snarled at them, turning around with hard eyes. "This isn't even my fight. I just came to leave this."

"Selina?" Jervis warbled.

Catwoman turned around sharply and marched off, storming back out the door.

Edward eyed the gear for a moment in silence.

"Is he nevermore?" Jervis chirped softly.

Glancing over at Crane and Ivy, who were quietly studying the gear left behind by Catwoman, Edward quirked a brow and touched a hand to his chin, before slipping away, trailing after Selina.

"I swear to God, Eddie," she growled as he fell into step beside her. "If you say anything about my screw up, I'll kick you in the face."

"Question," he began simply. "Is he dead?"

She swallowed thickly. "No."

"Well, then," Edward said. "Why are you so upset?"

"For a smart guy, Eddie, you're a real idiot."

"Careful, my dear, one does not get away so lightly insulting my intellect. Not even pretty kitties."

Turning around, she calmly shoved him hard and he fell on his ass without so much as defending himself. How could he? He wasn't expecting that at all.

"Feel better?" He demanded bitterly from the ground.

"A little."

"Well, you only get one," he pointed out, getting back to his feet.

She shoved him down again and he floundered on the ground as she stood over him, hands on her hips.

"Or…possibly two," he amended, getting to his feet and dusting himself off.

She shoved him down again and despite his best efforts not to go, he went due to her startling strength.

"Really, Selina!" He growled from the ground. "We're not on a playground!" Scrambling to get his long limbs working in order to get back up, he eyed her with a hard look. "You know, I don't much care for Lynns. I couldn't give a flying pig if he dies!"

Selina's spine straightened and Edward forced his anger monster back into its cage before he woke the vengeful goddess.

"But," he said gently, "I recognize that you are fond of him and…while it's a horrible decision on your part, I…feel?" He pondered that word, mulled it over, before continuing. "I feel like I'm sorry? For your loss?" All of this was indeed a question, mostly directed at himself. Glancing up at her cautiously, he found she was thoughtful, quiet. "Etcetera," he ended quickly.

That was far more than those quacks at Arkham ever got out of him in way of an emotional connection and it was more than he was prepared to give to anyone.

Anyone but Selina.

He supposed she was the exception to his personal rule on emotions and such.

_That_ would be analyzed later, he was sure of that.

Selina was quiet, no longer was her spine straightened for an attack. No longer did she look like she wanted to shove him down again.

She was just…quiet.

"I am fond of him," she admitted after a while. "He's a better man than he lets on."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure he's a real pip." Edward grumbled, unable to withhold his displeasure of the man.

"He has admirable qualities," she stated. "Such as an ability to express himself with something other than arrogance."

"Ouch, that cuts," Edward retorted. "Besides, I'm not arrogant. I _know_ that I'm the best."

She glared at him, but the venom in it faded as he offered her a tiny, almost proud smirk.

"Was that a joke, Eddie?"

"Yes."

The black cloud that hung over her dissipated somewhat and she sniffed, looking off at the distant bay beyond the lighthouse. Shifting on her boots, she looked back at him and offered him a small, mysterious smile, before leaning in and kissing him on the cheek.

"Thanks."

"For you, Selina, anything," he said.

It was declared with such ease that it wasn't until she had turned tail and headed back for the lighthouse, that Edward gave pause, angling his head down and away from the cat to consider this.

There was definitely truth in that statement.

Ooh, a revelation like that would need at least three days of solid pondering, so he tucked it away for later, focusing on the now and following her inside.

"Wait," she caught him just before they entered, hand on his chest.

He glanced down at the hand with those dangerous diamond tipped claws, before looking up at her.

"Anything?" She asked.

He quirked a brow and considered his response.

"Yes?" He tried.

She stood up on her tiptoes somewhat to peer into his eyes, hard and scrutinizing.

He smirked and lowered himself a little to give her a better view, meeting her gaze with only a little fear.

"Promise?" She whispered.

"Yes."

Leaning forward she caught his lips against hers and kissed him softly.

His natural response was to reply in kind, hand moving to rest on her hip, eyes sliding shut.

"I'm going to hold you to that," she murmured, pulling away, her hand sliding down his chest and over his stomach as she slipped into the lighthouse.

He swallowed with some difficulty, before exhaling a shaky breath.

"Get it together, Edward, she's a cat toying with her mouse," he cautioned himself, before raking a hand through his hair and bursting into the building with a feeling of renewed confidence.

"Well," Crane greeted dryly from his spot on the stairs. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Ah ha! Clever worm," Edward returned with a small grin.

"So?" Ivy urged. "Professor Pyg?"

"Ah yes," he took a seat at the table and threw his feet up on it, leaning his chair back on two legs. "It's simple really, when you think of it. Pyg has everything to gain from experimenting on criminals. No one to care if he has to eliminate his test subjects and the perfect patch of imperfection to correct with his damned genetic experiments. Myself excluded from this imperfection naturally," he said smugly. "And the lovely Catwoman amongst our ranks who is practically perfect in every way."

He glanced over to find her approval of his compliment and was not disappointed.

This approval only encouraged him further and his mind raced through the entire situation.

"Lynns mentioned something to me," Selina said. "Leviathan? Does that mean anything to you?"

Edward quirked and brow and dug through his memories for the word. He couldn't make a connection, so he glanced to the others, everyone looked just as stumped as he felt.

"Well, in any matter," he went on. "We find Pyg, we figure out what this Leviathan means and we get some good old fashioned revenge. For our fallen comrades," he added, again glancing to Selina.

She smiled that tricky grin of hers and he beamed widely.

Neither Crane nor Ivy missed this exchange and both took it in with curious, sly grins.

"So?" Edward began. "If I were a Pyg, where would I wallow?"

"He'd need access to medical and scientific equipment," Crane said.

"A place out of sight and out of mind," Ivy supplied.

"A trough!" Jervis exclaimed loudly. "Wait, what?"

"Something's bothering me, however," Edward broke in, ignoring Jervis along with the others, "Selina."

Catwoman levelled her gaze on him.

"Where is Firefly?"

The woman said, "he's safe."

"Where?" Crane demanded. "Custody? The hospital?"

"No, with a friend."

"A friend?" Ivy inquired.

Without a word, Selina moved off, heading for the stairs.

Watching her walk past him up the stairs, Crane quirked a brow and said to Ivy, "he's with Batman."

At the table Edward watched Jervis reverently try on Firefly's helmet and scowled, not at the poor Hatter, but at the thought of Batman and Selina. That bat always seemed to poke his nose into Edward's affairs at the worst times.

"The Bat," Ivy spat. "Will turn him in."

Everyone looked at the Riddler as though he held an answer to an unspoken question.

He sighed. "That's not our concern."

"He'll be a sitting duck in custody." Crane pointed out.

"Hi," a voice said from the darkest corner of the lighthouse, "I know you all forgot about me and…I guess that's okay, I mean I have to pee and I'm a little hungry, but if I may interject?"

Everyone turned their eyes on Batgirl, still tied to a chair, still in the corner.

"With criminals getting killed, I doubt Batman would risk allowing Firefly to get harmed."

Everyone was quiet for a moment, staring at the woman.

"We should really let her urinate before she lowers the resale value of this beautiful seaside home," Crane muttered dryly.

"Look," Batgirl reasoned. "Just untie me and let me help. I can help."

"I almost want to slap it," Ivy said coolly.

Edward eyed Jervis as the Hatter slipped into Firefly's protective leather jumpsuit and pondered Batgirl's proposal.

He pushed to his feet.

"I'll free you," he conditioned. "But you're not sticking around here, little one. Understood?"

"Why?" She demanded. "I can help!"

"Yes, but you want justice," he said, untying her ropes. It wouldn't matter if he released her now, he had a sneaking suspicion Batman knew where they were anyways.

"So?"

"We want revenge," Edward stated with a smile, stepping away and shooing her with a flap of his hand. "It's a little bit deadlier for Professor Pyg. Go on now, before I change my mind and let Ivy slap you."

"That may not be all I do," Ivy said.

Batgirl eyed him with quiet determination.

"Go!" He commanded. "And tell Batman if I catch him sniffing around any of us, I will be the one to destroy him."

Reluctantly, Batgirl left, stopping only once at the door to look back at them, before ducking out.

"Well," Crane said, pushing to his feet. "I suppose it's time to prepare for battle." He turned to Ivy with a small grin. "Kiss for luck?"

"You wish," she snarled, eyeing her nails.

Crane nodded as though he expected nothing less from her and smirked, heading for the top of the lighthouse, climbing the stairs slowly.

Edward looked at Jervis who had put on Firefly's entire costume and folded his arms.

"Who in the world am I?" Jervis asked almost happily.

"Ah, that's the great puzzle," Edward appeased the Hatter.

The short madman giggled in the three sizes too large costume.

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><p><strong>laal ratty - Eddie! Finally! Some Eddie! And he seems to have gotten his groove back...<strong>

**Katherine - Holy crap! You reviewed! I love you! ^_^**

**The 24th Reader - Gee, I'm sorry for making you wait so long. College is the worst. Learning is dumb and should be hated and stuff. ^_^ Thanks for the review! I appreciate it!**

**LittleGreyOwl - I hope this chapter allayed your fears, little bird. Don't feel bad, there's like a billion organizations and villains in the Batverse.**

**NURSE J0Y - Oh, you know Eddie is building some jealousy...it should be good.**


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